SkyDrive given green light to identify vertiports and flight routes for Osaka eVTOL services in 2025

“We are currently developing a three-seater aircraft “SkyDrive SD-05” (“SKYDRIVE”) with the aim of realizing an air taxi service in the Osaka Bay Area at the time of the Osaka Kansai Expo in 2025,” according to a company statement. As well as identifying take off and landing areas the company will identify flight paths via public-private-academia collaboration, “and promote the business toward the realization of social implementation of “flying cars”.

According to the programme schedule in 2023 the SkyDrive-led consortium will start work on the examination of necessary infrastructure and flight routes for take-off and landing ports in the bay area for point-to-point operation at the time of the Expo and examine “other promising port candidate sites and verification of institutional issues in establishing ports, etc.” In 2024 the company will establish take-off and landing ports, consideration and maintenance of operational support systems, bases, data infrastructure, etc, provide consideration and construction of funding schemes and start demonstration flights ready for the “realization of flying cars at the 2025 Osaka/Kansai Expo.” In 2026 and beyond the consortium will look to expand eVTOL operations.

Consortium members

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