TOYOTA, Japan, DATE, YEAR – SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading Compact eVTOL (*1) aircraft developer based in Japan, announces the completion of 300 flights of the SKYDRIVE (SkyDrive model SD-05), having reached this milestone over a period of 20 months from November 2024 and June 2026.
Through these demonstration flights, we have not only assessed the aircraft’s performance, we have also amassed a large volume of flight data which will, once our aircraft is on the market, help support regular, on-time, commercial operations and decisions over when the aircraft can fly.
While SkyDrive has test facilities both in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, and at the Yamaguchi Kirara Expo Memorial Park in Yamaguchi Prefecture, SkyDrive has flown its aircraft in a wide range of different environments to gain experience outside our facilities in airspaces where conditions are closer to the aircraft’s future commercial operations, enabling us to improve the reliability and safety of our aircraft as we look to accelerate steadily forward toward commercialization in 2028.
SkyDrive has published a video on its official YouTube channel of the path toward the successful completion of 300 test flights.
■ The Significance of Reaching 300 Flights
SkyDrive is developing eVTOLs with the mission of “leading a once-in-a-century mobility revolution”. Our goal is to make simple and convenient air travel a regular part of city life. As we develop the SKYDRIVE, we have not only flown test flights within our own test facilities, we have also demonstrated the capabilities of the aircraft in public, including through flights from vertiports built by third parties, giving stakeholders and local people the opportunity to see the aircraft in operation.
The major demonstration flights performed by SkyDrive are as follows: (*2)
- 2025: Demonstration flights at the Osaka Expo and the Osakako vertiport
- 2026: Demonstration flights in Tokyo
Through a total of 48 flights outside SkyDrive’s test centers, SkyDrive has collected a wealth of operational data that will support on-time operations following the aircraft’s commercialization.
■ SkyDrive’s Path Forward
Around the world, manufacturers are competing to develop eVTOL aircraft. The industry has already gone beyond the stage of “proving that these aircraft can fly” and is now entering a new phase that includes the flight demonstrations required to confirm commercial viability and the advanced data collection required to accumulate evidence for certification.
The aircraft and operational data accumulated by SkyDrive through 300 completed flights provides a solid foundation to support the regulatory testing required for type certification and the further aircraft development needed for commercialization. As we target the launch of commercial operations in 2028, we will continue to move forwards while always making safety our absolute priority.
■ Comments
Yugo Fukuhara, Vice President, Director, Project Management Department
The achievement of 300 completed flights is the result of cumulative efforts by our engineers, pilots and operations team, who have all worked continuously with a priority on safety. Throughout the flight test campaign, we have approached each flight with the appropriate degree of caution, ensuring that we can safely complete the flight profile and record the data that we require. We will keep working toward certification and commercialization, making sure we continue to uphold our ongoing focus on safety.
Christopher Rennie, Director, Test Department, Vehicle Development Division
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the SD-05 flight test campaign. Flight testing is never easy, and reaching 300 safe flights is a meaningful achievement made possible through teamwork, discipline, and commitment across the entire organization. We have faced technical, operational, and schedule challenges, but each flight has strengthened our knowledge, improved our aircraft, and moved us closer to certification. As we look ahead to type certification and the production units coming next year, we recognize that greater challenges are ahead. However, with the same dedication and one-team mindset, we are ready to face them.
Editor’s Note:
(*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 releases:
Demonstration flights at the Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/archives/16292
SkyDrive Completes Extended Summer Demonstration Flight Campaign in Osaka: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/archives/16771
SkyDrive Completes First Demo Flights in Tokyo: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/archives/17702
Contact:
Kaori Saito
Public Relations
SkyDrive Inc.
Email: info@skydrive.co.jp
https://skydrive.co.jp/en/contact
Download the PDF from below:
SkyDrive Marks a Total of 300 Flights without Incident_20260702