SkyDrive signs eVTOL deal with Tohoku Air Service for 2028 operations

Japan-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) developer SkyDrive has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Tohoku Air Service (TAS) for the purchase of one SkyDrive SD-05 aircraft, with delivery targeted for 2028.

The agreement marks SkyDrive’s first planned aircraft sale to a Japanese helicopter operator and supports TAS’s ambitions to explore eVTOL operations across the Tohoku region.

TAS, a helicopter operator within the Tohoku Electric Power Company group, sees potential for eVTOL aircraft in tourism, regional transport, medical services, and disaster response. The company said the aircraft’s quieter operation and lower purchase and maintenance costs were among the attractions.

SkyDrive has been progressing its flight test program through demonstration flights at Expo 2025 Osaka, Osaka Port, and Tokyo Bay, as it works towards commercial entry into service in 2028.

TAS President Shigeyuki Ouchi said the LOI would allow the company to “advance our concrete investigations into the real-world operation of this next-generation technology”.

He added: “We will conduct a detailed confirmation of the functionality, safety, and infrastructure requirements, to assess the operational feasibility of eVTOL services from multiple perspectives.”

SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa described the agreement as “a significant step” towards establishing “a sustainable transport ecosystem based on multifunctional eVTOL operation in Tohoku”.

SkyDrive recently signed a letter of intent with 7A Drones for the supply of 10 electric aircraft to support emergency air medical services in the Penghu Islands.