Japanese eVTOL developer SkyDrive Inc. has successfully completed a series of demonstration flights using its flagship SKYDRIVE aircraft above Expo 2025 in Osaka, marking a key milestone in the company’s development of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology.
The demonstration flights, conducted between July 31 and August 24, 2025, involved short loops departing from the expo’s vertiport, flying over Osaka Bay, and returning to the base. Each flight lasted several minutes, and the successful series is part of SkyDrive’s broader efforts to advance scaled eVTOL production and achieve flight certification in Japan and the United States.
SkyDrive, which established a U.S. headquarters in South Carolina in 2023 and secured its first eVTOL pre-order, has partnered with Suzuki to manufacture the aircraft in Japan. While the company has remained less prominent than some competitors, the flights at Expo 2025 demonstrate tangible progress beyond previous renderings and promotional material.
Following these flights, SkyDrive plans to conduct a second series of demonstration flights from the Osakako Vertiport in Osaka starting September 15. These flights will operate in a more densely populated area, aiming to promote public familiarity and acceptance of eVTOLs as a potential urban mobility solution.
Commercial operations of SkyDrive’s eVTOLs are projected to begin in Osaka and other southern Japanese regions around 2028. The demonstrations serve as a preparatory step toward integrating electric vertical flight into regular transportation networks.
