Toyota-based manufacturer flies its SD-05 aircraft twice in Yamaguchi Prefecture to test the tourism use case for its planned 2028 commercial launch.
SkyDrive Inc. completed a demonstration flight of its SKYDRIVE Model SD-05 eVTOL on July 13, 2026, the Toyota-based manufacturer announced. The flight, staged inside Yamaguchi Kirara Expo Memorial Park in western Japan, simulated a scaenic touring flight over the Seto Inland Sea and reinforced the aircraft’s tourism potential.
Tsugumasa Muraoka, governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture, and Toru Kawano, vice chairperson of the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly, witnessed the flight, along with Toshihiro Suzuki, president of Suzuki Motor Corporation, SkyDrive’s production partner.
Two demonstration flights without pilots on board
Both flights operated on autonomous control and remote piloting, with no pilot or passenger on board.
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First flight, 8 a.m.: 2 km, or roughly 1.24 miles; 6 minutes 20 seconds; maximum speed 86 km/h, or about 53.4 mph; maximum altitude 30 meters, or about 98.4 feet.
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Second flight, 11:05 a.m.: 1,900 meters, or roughly 1.18 miles; 5 minutes 42 seconds; maximum speed 54 km/h, or 34 mph; maximum altitude 25 meters, or 82 feet.
The exercise simulated the full passenger journey. Guests arrived by road at the vertiport and transitioned straight to the aircraft, testing the seamless ground-to-air handoff SkyDrive plans for commercial service.
Building on Osaka and Tokyo demonstrations
SkyDrive has now flown its prototype more than 300 times across Toyota City, Yamaguchi City, Expo 2025 Osaka, Osaka Port and, most recently, Tokyo Big Sight in February 2026, according to the company. Each event has moved the SD-05 closer to commercial service targeted for 2028.dronelife+1
CEO on tourism as an entry market
“I was proud and delighted to see today the successful completion of our demonstration flight here in Yamaguchi,” said Tomohiro Fukuzawa, founder and chief executive of SkyDrive. Scenic flights are “a key pillar of the commercial eVTOL services we plan for 2028,” he added.
Passengers arriving by road demonstrated the “seamless, zero-wait time switch from road transport to eVTOL,” Fukuzawa said, calling it “a model case that showcases the potential of next-generation urban air mobility to drive tourism.” SkyDrive also plans to work with rail partners to link train travel into eVTOL departures.
With safety as its “utmost priority,” the company continues to advance aircraft development and production. Tourism will be among the earliest use cases, but Fukuzawa said the ultimate goal is broader eVTOL infrastructure supporting urban and regional economies, disaster relief and emergency medical care.
More information is available at SkyDrive.
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Ian McNabb is a journalist focusing on drone technology and lifestyle content at Dronelife. He is based between Boston and NH and, when not writing, enjoys hiking and Boston area sports.
