SkyDrive Chases eVTOL Aircraft Certification Milestone

SkyDrive says it is getting close to agreeing on the means of compliance for type certification of its three-seat SD-05 eVTOL aircraft. The Japanese start-up is working with officials from the country’s civil aviation regulator and is also pursuing validation from the FAA as it targets service entry in 2028.

Hundreds of hours of flight testing its SD-05 prototype during 2025 resulted in some minor changes to rotors and flight control laws to improve stability. SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa told AIN his team hopes not to have to make further design changes before the final terms for certification are agreed, saying that flights conducted so far have shown close alignment in performance between the real aircraft and earlier simulations.

Much of the flying with the first SD-05 was done during public demonstrations for the World Expo 2025 held in Osaka over the course of six weeks. Around 1.4 million visitors saw the Expo’s Advanced Air Mobility Station, which also involved participation by other eVTOL manufacturers including U.S.-based Joby Aviation.

“Most of these people did not know anything about eVTOLs before, and I think it will improve public acceptance,” Fukuzawa commented.

From February 24-28, SkyDrive will conduct more public demonstration flights in the Japanese capital in support of the Tokyo metropolitan government's eVTOL program. The demonstration, which is being staged in partnership with Mitsubishi Estate and Kanematsu at the Tokyo Big Sight venue, will include aspects of air taxi ground operations, such as facial recognition check-in for passengers. 

At last year’s Japan Mobility Show, SkyDrive focused on plans to connect eVTOL air taxi services with the country’s excellent rail and metro links. The company is working with Osaka Metro to plan possible vertiports at some of its stations in the city that could support business and leisure travelers. At the same time, it is developing a regional transportation strategy through a partnership with Japan Railways focused on the cities of Oita in southern Japan and Iwate in the north of the country.

Carrying a pilot and two passengers, the 12-rotor SD-05 multicopter is expected to have a range of up to around 22 nm and a cruise speed of 54 knots. According to Fukuzawa, this performance is sufficient to make missions including sightseeing, commuting, and medical support viable in most early use case locations.

SkyDrive now holds pre-orders for around 400 aircraft, including the recently announced agreement with AeroGulf in the UAE. It also has memorandums of understanding signed with prospective operators in Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and some U.S. cities.

Lower Cost Than Fixed-wing eVTOLs

The company has not published the list price for the SD-05, but Fukuzawa said it is around one-third of that for larger fixed-wing designs, such as the aircraft being developed by Joby, Archer, and Beta Technologies. He also stated that the multicopter is better suited to operations in dense urban areas with a radius of between 20 and 30 kilometers.

SkyDrive has welcomed the support of the Japanese government in prioritizing the adoption of advanced air mobility, having launched phase one of its eVTOL project in the fall of 2025 as part of its wider effort to boost local economies. Fukuzawa explained that central government approval for operations is all that is required in Japan, although his team is working hard to win acceptance from city authorities and local communities.

“We’ve decided that 2026 is the most critical prep year for the realization [of eVTOL operations] that’s right around the corner,” Fukuzawa said in his New Year’s message. “Our number one focus is final preparations for type certification. At the same time, we’re hitting the gas on setting up safe operational systems and getting our infrastructure integrated, tapping into the deep expertise of our partners both in Japan and overseas.”

Major partners for the SD-05 program include SkyDrive’s main backer, Suzuki Motors, which is providing manufacturing support. Toray is producing the carbon fiber fuselage and rotor frames, with Thales responsible for the flight control system, in addition to Avidyne’s avionics suite and batteries from Electric Power Systems.