Japanese eVTOL manufacturer SkyDrive has announced it has been given the go-ahead to verify the feasibility of takeoff and landing areas and flight routes in the Osaka Bay Area in preparation for the launch of eVTOL services at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.
“We are currently developing a three-seater aircraft “SkyDrive SD-05” (“SKYDRIVE”) with the aim of realizing an air taxi service in the Osaka Bay Area at the time of the Osaka Kansai Expo in 2025,” according to a company statement. As well as identifying take off and landing areas the company will identify flight paths via public-private-academia collaboration, “and promote the business toward the realization of social implementation of “flying cars”.
According to the programme schedule in 2023 the SkyDrive-led consortium will start work on the examination of necessary infrastructure and flight routes for take-off and landing ports in the bay area for point-to-point operation at the time of the Expo and examine “other promising port candidate sites and verification of institutional issues in establishing ports, etc.” In 2024 the company will establish take-off and landing ports, consideration and maintenance of operational support systems, bases, data infrastructure, etc, provide consideration and construction of funding schemes and start demonstration flights ready for the “realization of flying cars at the 2025 Osaka/Kansai Expo.” In 2026 and beyond the consortium will look to expand eVTOL operations.
Consortium members
| Groving Co., Ltd. | Overall supervision and survey execution (port/route related) |
| SkyDrive Co., Ltd. | Investigation execution (aircraft/operation related) |
| Osaka Public University | Survey execution (port/route related) |
| Kintetsu Group Holdings Co., Ltd. | Investigation execution (port related) |
| Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. | Investigation execution (related to risk assessment) |
| Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. | Investigation execution (port related) |
| Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Advisory and research support (related to weather research) |
| Obayashi Corporation | Advisory and research support (port construction related) |
| Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. | Advisory and research support (charging infrastructure related) |
| Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. | Advisory and research support (port exhibition/PR related) |
| Osaka Prefecture | cooperation |
| Osaka city | cooperatio |
For more information
大阪スーパーシティ及び大阪・関西万博での飛行実現に向け、 昨年に続き官民学連携で「空飛ぶクルマ」の大阪ベイエリア航路実現性の調査を開始