SkyDrive Completes Simulated Tourism Flight Demo in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Reaching 86 km/h
SkyDrive Inc. successfully conducted two demonstration flights of its SD-05 eVTOL aircraft at Yamaguchi Kirara Expo Memorial Park on July 13, 2026. The remotely piloted flights simulated a tourism route over the Seto Inland Sea, covering approximately 2 km and 1.9 km respectively, with a top speed of 86 km/h. The company is targeting commercial passenger operations by 2028.
Highlights
- SkyDrive conducted two remotely piloted SD-05 eVTOL demonstration flights at Yamaguchi Kirara Expo Memorial Park on July 13, 2026, simulating a Seto Inland Sea tourism route.
- Flight 1 reached a top speed of 86 km/h, covering approximately 2 km at a maximum altitude of 30 m in 6 minutes 20 seconds.
- The event showcased seamless ground-to-air multimodal connectivity, simulating passengers transferring from a road vehicle to the vertiport with zero waiting time.
- Suzuki Motor Corporation President Toshihiro Suzuki attended, reflecting the automaker's role as SkyDrive's production partner.
- SkyDrive targets commercial passenger operations in 2028, with planned applications spanning tourism, urban mobility, disaster response, and emergency medical services.
SkyDrive Inc. successfully carried out demonstration flights of its SKYDRIVE SD-05 eVTOL aircraft at Yamaguchi Kirara Expo Memorial Park in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, on July 13, 2026. The flights simulated a tourism route over the Seto Inland Sea, marking another milestone in the company's path toward commercial operations.
Flight Data at a Glance
Both flights were conducted remotely, with no passengers or crew on board:
- Flight 1: Distance approx. 2 km, duration 6 min 20 sec, top speed 86 km/h, maximum altitude 30 m.
- Flight 2: Distance approx. 1.9 km, duration 5 min 42 sec, top speed 54 km/h, maximum altitude 25 m.
High-Profile Attendees
The demonstration drew several distinguished guests, including Yamaguchi Governor Tsugumasa Muraoka, Vice Speaker of the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly Toru Kawano, and Toshihiro Suzuki, President of Suzuki Motor Corporation — SkyDrive's production partner.
Simulating a Seamless Multimodal Journey
Beyond the flights themselves, SkyDrive used the event to showcase a complete ground-to-air travel experience, simulating passengers arriving by road vehicle and transitioning to the vertiport for boarding. The entire sequence was captured by cameras mounted on the aircraft and on the ground, and SkyDrive released demonstration footage highlighting the convenience of switching from a car to an eVTOL.
SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa said: "I am proud and delighted to have successfully completed the demonstration flight in Yamaguchi Prefecture today. This follows our previous flights at Expo 2025 Osaka, Osaka Port, and Tokyo Big Sight, and represents another important milestone for us."
Fukuzawa elaborated on the broader vision: "In this simulation, passengers arrived by road, perfectly demonstrating a zero-wait-time transfer from ground transport to eVTOL — a model for how next-generation Urban Air Mobility can drive tourism development across regions. SkyDrive also looks forward to partnering with railway operators so that both road and rail travel can connect seamlessly with eVTOL departures, realising true multimodal integration."
On Track for 2028 Commercialisation
SkyDrive sees broad potential for eVTOL technology across tourism, urban traffic relief, disaster response, and emergency medical services. Fukuzawa emphasised that safety remains the company's top priority as it accelerates its commercialisation roadmap, with a target of launching commercial passenger services in 2028.
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