TOYOTA, Japan, October 30, 2025 – Kintetsu Group Holdings Co., Ltd. (“Kintetsu Group”) and SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading eVTOL (*1) aircraft manufacturer based in Japan, are pleased to announce the selection of three promising candidate sites for vertiports in the Shima area. This selection marks a significant step in their collaborative initiatives(*2) with other cooperating companies toward the commercialization of AAM.
This initiative is being conducted as part of a feasibility study(*3) on social implementation of AAM, with an eye toward enhancing the value of local transportation and tourism. Kintetsu Group, SkyDrive, and their partners will proceed with examinations from operational, technical, and business perspectives in close cooperation with local communities.
■ Promising Vertiport Candidate Sites
Aiming for the commercial deployment of AAM in the latter half of the 2020s, the following three promising candidate sites for vertiports in the Shima area were selected:
Moving forward, Kintetsu Group and SkyDrive plan to explore candidate sites for vertiports in other areas, such as Ise and Toba, and to examine specific details and flight routes for the realization of various use cases.
Please note that this information is currently at the consideration stage, and the contents are subject to change depending on the progress of future studies and discussions with stakeholders.
■ Project Implementation Structure
Primary Applicant: Kintetsu Group Holdings Co., Ltd.
Co-Applicant: Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Cooperating Companies: Kanematsu Corporation, Skyports K.K. (Subcontracted by Kanematsu Corporation), SkyDrive Inc. (Contractor), AirX Inc. (Contractor)
Editor’s Notes:
(*1) “eVTOL” is an abbreviation for electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing. As the name suggests, eVTOL aircraft can take off and land without a runway. eVTOLs are powered by electricity and incorporate advanced, automatic, flight control technology.
(*2) Related Press Release: Investment in SkyDrive Inc. by Kintetsu Group Holdings Co., Ltd. (April 7, 2022)
https://skydrive.co.jp/en/archives/3717/
(*3) Mie Prefecture FY2024 Social Implementation Feasibility Study Project Application Guidelines: “Study on the Installation of Flying Car Vertiports in the Shima Area”
https://www.pref.mie.lg.jp/common/content/001129701.pdf