Japan’s Osaka Prefecture has asked vertiport developer Skyports to help develop infrastructure and drone delivery services for the so-called Osaka Prefecture Super City. The company has been chosen as one of five contributing organizations for Osaka Prefecture’s “Green Table,” which is a collaborative roundtable platform launched to accelerate the commercialization of advanced air mobility.
Skyports aims to support passenger eVTOL aircraft operations from a new vertiport in time for the Osaka-Kansai World Expo in 2025. Its participation in the Osaka Prefecture's project does not mean it will be an exclusive provider of vertiports for the central Japanese city.
“As part of these projects, we are helping Osaka fulfill its vision of becoming an urban air mobility center in Japan, providing not only a vital facility to support the burgeoning air taxi market, but demonstrating the benefits that drone delivery services will provide to the region,” said Skyports CEO Duncan Walker. “The fact that we have been selected to contribute to multiple programs aimed at developing Japan’s AAM ecosystem is testament to the work that Skyports does.”
Osaka Prefecture launched the Super City project to boost tourism, sustainability, and economic performance—and ultimately develop Osaka as a global technology hub. “We understand that it is one of the most important subjects to build a user-friendly vertiport which can be easily utilized by eVTOL manufacturers, fleet operators, passengers, and other parties considering the introduction of eVTOL into society,” noted Ryo Segawa of the Osaka Prefectural government’s department of commerce, industry, and labor.
In April, Kanematsu Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with Skyports to support the growth of passenger and cargo eVTOL aircraft operations in Japan. The two companies have been working together since 2020, but have now formalized the alliance to include the drone delivery market in which Skyports is also engaged.
The publicly traded Kanematsu group is a trading company with involvement in industries including aerospace, ground vehicles, electronics, foods, steel, and other materials. The 103-year-old venture has just over 7,000 employees.
