SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading compact eVTOL (*1) aircraft manufacturer based in Japan, announced that it has launched a joint initiative with leading enterprises in the Kansai region — including MUFG Bank Ltd. (“MUFG Bank”) and key industry leaders across transportation, aviation, infrastructure, energy, tourism and financial services — to evaluate and advance the commercial deployment and operational framework for eVTOL aircraft in Western Japan.

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From left : Kensuke Nishiji, managing director and head of startup acceleration strategy division at MUFG Bank; Shin Kitamura, member of the board of directors, senior managing executive officer and head of Japan Western Region at MUFG Bank; Taiji Ono, head of global business at SkyDrive; former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida; Hirofumi Yoshimura, governor of Osaka Prefecture; Tamotsu Saito, chairman of NEDO, presenting the joint initiative at the MUFG booth during Global Startup EXPO 2026 in Osaka.

From left : Kensuke Nishiji, managing director and head of startup acceleration strategy division at MUFG Bank; Shin Kitamura, member of the board of directors, senior managing executive officer and head of Japan Western Region at MUFG Bank; Taiji Ono, head of global business at SkyDrive; former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida; Hirofumi Yoshimura, governor of Osaka Prefecture; Tamotsu Saito, chairman of NEDO, presenting the joint initiative at the MUFG booth during Global Startup EXPO 2026 in Osaka.

Background and Objectives

Driven by its mission “taking the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution” and its vision of making daily air mobility a reality, SkyDrive continues to advance the development of compact eVTOL aircraft. During Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, SkyDrive successfully conducted demonstration flights of its SKYDRIVE (SD-05) eVTOL aircraft (*2).

Following the Expo, advanced air mobility initiatives in Kansai are transitioning from technical validation to commercial integration. Practical steps to incorporate eVTOLs into daily urban transportation are accelerating rapidly across Osaka and the broader Kansai region, bringing commercial operations closer to reality. For example, under a Cabinet Office Super City research project, SkyDrive is collaborating with Osaka Metro and other partners to study converting existing rooftop emergency helipads (“H” marks) on urban buildings into vertiports (*3).

In response to this momentum, leading corporations across aviation, infrastructure, energy, tourism, finance and insurance — led by MUFG Bank — recognized that establishing a sustainable business model requires cross-industry collaboration beyond passenger services to build next-generation transport infrastructure. This shared vision led to the creation of the “Kansai Air Transportation Network Concept,” a collaborative framework designed to support the development of new industry and air mobility infrastructure originating in Kansai.

In parallel with urban infrastructure planning in Osaka, SkyDrive will leverage the strong backing of MUFG Bank and partner companies to accelerate the execution of this network concept and drive the mobility revolution across the Kansai region.

Core Focus Areas

Under this joint initiative, participating companies will combine their industry expertise and operational foundations to address the following key areas:

  • Flight Network and Routes: Developing medium- and long-term flight networks and operational routes across the Kansai region

  • Infrastructure Development: Planning vertiports, maintenance facilities and supporting ground infrastructure

  • Operations and Safety Management: Establishing operational, maintenance and safety management frameworks

  • Demand Generation and Service Integration: Creating demand and developing mobility services integrated with regional transportation and tourism

  • Commercial Feasibility and Business Models: Evaluating commercial viability and building sustainable business models

  • Public and Community Engagement: Collaborating and maintaining ongoing dialogue with national government agencies, local municipalities and regional communities

About SkyDrive Inc.

SkyDrive is a Japanese compact eVTOL company aiming “to take the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution.” The company began testing eVTOL prototypes in 2014 prior to official incorporation in 2018. Under its future vision for urban transportation, flying in eVTOLs will become a regular part of city life. In 2019, SkyDrive became the first company to fly a crewed eVTOL in Japan. In 2025, the company successfully showcased SKYDRIVE, the company’s first commercial eVTOL product, with demonstration flights at the Osaka Expo witnessed by thousands of visitors over a one-month period. SkyDrive began production of SKYDRIVE in March 2024 at a plant owned by Suzuki Motor Corporation, SkyDrive’s official production partner. SkyDrive has been working with civil aviation authorities in Japan and the U.S. to obtain certification for SKYDRIVE, with the aim of launching the aircraft into service in 2028. SkyDrive is headquartered in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture and led by CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa, an engineer and entrepreneur.

For more information, please visit: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/

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: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/news/16292/

(*3) Related Press Release: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/news/73083/

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