Japanese eVTOL aircraft manufacturer SkyDrive Inc has successfully conducted a demo flight of its SKYDRIVE (SkyDrive SD-05 model) as part of the media day today (April 9) at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
Ahead of the scheduled point-to-point and circular flights planned at the Expo for the summer of 2025, the SKYDRIVE (SkyDrive SD-05 model) took off from the Expo’s vertiport today and flew at an altitude of approximately five metres for a total flight time of approximately four minutes. To ensure safe flight operations, the aircraft, which incorporates automatic control systems, was piloted remotely without a pilot on board.
The company has also released footage of recent test flights and development work conducted at its proprietary facility in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture.
Last year, Osaka Metro Co., Ltd and SkyDrive announced plans for the “Osaka Diamond Routes”, proposed eVTOL routes connecting four key Osaka destinations: Shin-Osaka/Umeda, Morinomiya, Tennoji/Abeno, and the Osaka Bay Area. The company says that similar initiatives for the post-Expo period are underway throughout Japan.
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