Skydrive and JR Kyushu to conduct Japanese eVTOL feasibility study
Japanese eVTOL manufacturer Skydrive is to partner with Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) to conduct a feasibility study for urban air mobility in Japan’s Kyushu region.
The partnership will see the companies conduct implantation studies of the SKYDRIVE SD-05 eVTOL, believing that its introduction to the region will “attract visitors to tourist destinations, contribute to regional development, and enable advanced and attractive urban development”.
Focus areas for analysis include business plans and geographic analysis, with the aim of launching routes incorporating JR Kyushi’s railroad stations, commercial facilities, and other locations.
Skydrive’s three-seat, multicopter-configured eVTOL is currently seeking concurrent Japanese (JCAB) and US (FAA) type certification, with the former expected in 2026. Production began in March 2024 at the Suzuki Motor Corporation’s manufacturing plant in Iwata-city, Shizuoka, Japan.
