Japanese eVTOL aircraft developer SkyDrive has launched efforts to offer its SD-05 three-seat vehicle in the U.S. market, having recently started the FAA certification process. On June 17, the company reported that the U.S. aviation safety agency accepted its application for a type certificate on April 29 in a process initiated through Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB).
SkyDrive aims to secure U.S. approval via the FAA’s validation of the Japanese type certificate it aims to achieve in 2026. The company, which is based in Toyota in Aichi Prefecture, started manufacturing the first examples of the SD-05 aircraft in March using a factory operated by its production partner Suzuki Motor Company. The companies said the Iwata City site will be able to produce 100 vehicles per year.
Under plans to conduct public flight demonstrations with the SD-05 during the 2025 Osaka World Expo, SkyDrive is aiming to get provisional airworthiness approval and a permit to fly from the JCAB. The event is to be held at the heart of the Keihanshin metropolitan area, which has 18 million inhabitants. Several other eVTOL aircraft manufacturers were invited to participate in the event, including China’s AutoFlight and a local partner.
In 2023, SkyDrive established a U.S. subsidiary in South Carolina and has been developing partnerships with local companies. It has provisional sales agreements in place with business aircraft operators Austin Aviation and Bravo Air.
“Our development team has been working on both aircraft development and type certification activities in parallel,” said SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa. “We are very grateful to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau for supporting our application and looking forward to a successful FAA type certification. This collaboration allows us to advance our certification processes in both Japan and the U.S. simultaneously. With the FAA’s experience in the certification process of several eVTOLs and the JCAB already advancing the certification of our aircraft, we aim to work together to create a future where our eVTOL can operate commercially around the world.”