U.S. Part 135 charter operator Austin Aviation is planning to introduce SkyDrive’s three-seat eVTOL to its fleet. On Thursday, the Walterboro, South Carolina-based company signed a letter of intent with the Japanese manufacturer covering provisional pre-orders for five of the aircraft, which is expected to enter service in 2026.
The three-seat eVTOL air taxi was unveiled by SkyDrive at the Paris Air Show in June as a larger version of the original two-seat SD-05 model. The all-electric vehicle will have a range of just nine miles and is intended for short hops, such as trips to and from airports.
Toyota City-based SkyDrive announced the deal with Austin Aviation during an event on July 20 in Beaufort, South Carolina, where it is already working with ground infrastructure group Volatus to develop plans for advanced air mobility (AAM) services in the state. Beaufort is the Japanese company’s U.S. headquarters.
Also this week, Vietnamese technology group CT announced that it intends to buy 100 of the SkyDrive aircraft. Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding, these will be acquired by the Ho Chi Minh City-based group’s CT UAV division, which is active in developing its uncrewed air vehicles business. SkyDrive already holds another 100 orders from Vietnam's Pacific Group.
Austin Aviation is a subsidiary of Lowcountry Aviation Company. It has agreed to make its facilities available to SkyDrive as part of its plans to expand operations in the U.S. market.
“Sustainable electric propulsion vertical takeoff and landing vehicles are the next new exciting challenge in general aviation, following the early lead of the automotive industry with electric propulsion,” said Austin Aviation president Alex Cavazzoni. “With the SkyDrive vehicle and all South Carolina stakeholders, we look forward to being a part of this exciting new chapter in general aviation, as this new pioneering electric technology matures into reality.”
SkyDrive founder and CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa was in Beaufort for the signing event with Austin Aviation. He said that since announcing plans to enter the U.S. market in January, the company has received “an overwhelming amount of support from local, regional, and state organizations” in South Carolina.