SkyDrive and West Nippon Expressway Company sign Partnership Agreement on Advanced Air Mobility
SkyDrive and West Nippon Expressway Company sign Partnership Agreement on Advanced Air Mobility
Creating new value and contributing to regional economies through new air mobility options serving expressway parking and service areas
TOYOTA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading eVTOL (*1) aircraft manufacturer based in Japan, has announced the signing of a new partnership agreement with West Nippon Expressway Company (NEXCO West). Under the agreement, both parties will investigate the commercial feasibility of advanced air mobility (eVTOL) services based in expressway parking and service areas.
Background
SkyDrive is developing eVTOLs with the mission of "leading a once-in-a-century mobility revolution". Our goal is to make simple and convenient air travel a regular part of city life. During 2025, over a period of around six weeks, SkyDrive successfully showcased demonstration flights of the "SKYDRIVE" (SkyDrive Model SD-05) both at the Expo 2025 Osaka and at a second vertiport within the city of Osaka. Having conducted further demonstration flights in Tokyo during February 2026, we are driving towards our next major milestone: commercial operations in 2028.
Under its "MOVE!2030" mid-term management plan, West Nippon Expressway Company (NEXCO West) is committed to creating new value and contributing to regional economic development, working to resolve the issues that affect communities through active involvement in new areas of business.
SkyDrive’s ties with NEXCO West began when research into the future potential of air mobility led us to focus on the service and parking areas as potential sites for eVTOL vertiports (takeoff and landing pads). With service areas and parking areas accessible at intervals of between 10 and 30 kilometers, vertiports within these facilities would allow the next generation of air mobility technology to create added value and contribute to the regional development of the communities running alongside the expressway network.
NEXCO West decided to partner with SkyDrive as SkyDrive’s goals not only chime with NEXCO West’s mid-term management plan, they also align with the philosophy of creating a legacy from the 2025 Expo in Osaka, as supported by the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren), an umbrella organization for major corporations based in the Kansai region. NEXCO West is a longstanding and influential corporate member of the Kankeiren.
Partnership Objectives and Scope
Through this partnership, SkyDrive and NEXCO West will investigate the commercial feasibility of using service areas and parking areas operated by NEXCO West as a hub for next generation air mobility services.
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Driving new value, contributing to local economies
Transforming the services and parking areas along NEXCO West’s expressways into departure points for sightseeing flights and other advanced air mobility options will create new opportunities for added consumer value. Longer term, we hope that links between expressway and eVTOL services hubs can help stimulate local economies. -
Improved post-disaster response
SkyDrive’s aircraft can help authorities assess post-disaster damage from the air and consider post-disaster response options. Improved eVTOL access from alongside NEXCO West’s expressways can help mitigate the adverse impact of natural disasters.
Where We Go from Here
As our next step, SkyDrive and NEXCO West will look into how and where to best deploy SkyDrive’s air mobility services as we look to meet the public’s expectations over the value this next generation of aircraft can provide. Together, we aim to harness expressway service areas and parking areas as a base for new value creation, a source of regional economic stimulus, and a means of providing improved disaster mitigation response.
Comment from SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa
SkyDrive is honored and delighted to enter into this partnership with NEXCO West. In developing our aircraft, we are looking to lead this "once-in-a-century" mobility revolution. This new partnership is a meaningful step forward for our business. Combining the expertise in managing road infrastructure delivered by NEXCO West with the easy access to short-hop air travel and sightseeing flights delivered by SkyDrive opens up a new realm of possibilities.
The service areas and parking areas within NEXCO West’s extensive network of expressways already serve large numbers of visitors. Adding air mobility services to the shopping and other facilities already on offer will add to the appeal of this highway infrastructure, turning these already busy waystations into a gateway to the skies. SkyDrive’s air mobility services will not only be able to increase value for tourists through sightseeing flights, they may also help provide peace of mind to local residents through a future role in post-disaster recovery. In partnership with NEXCO West, we are proud to be taking firm steps towards new value creation as we work to bring the next generation of air mobility technology to people in the regions served by NEXCO West’s expressway network.
Comment from NEXCO West President and Representative Director Yoshiharu Shibamura
SkyDrive is Japan's leading pioneer in bringing 'flying cars' to life, already working in close partnership with numerous local governments and infrastructure companies. We are deeply honored to have entered into an agreement to collaborate and move forward with these initiatives together.
The future availability of sightseeing flights from our service and parking areas would bring new vitality and economic benefits to these facilities, further elevating them from rest facilities to destinations in their own right. Basing SkyDrive’s aircraft alongside our highways will also open up possibilities for assessing post-disaster damage and measures for reconstruction, helping to mitigate the adverse effects of Japan’s frequent earthquakes and other natural disasters.
As a corporate member of the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren), we note how SkyDrive’s approach to air mobility also aligns with Kankeiren’s philosophy of harnessing the 2025 Expo in Osaka to spur the adoption into society of cutting-edge technology.
Through this partnership with SkyDrive, we look forward to pooling our resources and examining in detail the commercial and disaster mitigation possibilities of this remarkable new technology, ensuring that we work closely together to explore specific use cases and potential service areas.
About West Nippon Expressway Company (NEXCO West)
NEXCO West works to connect people and regions through safe, reliable and driver-friendly expressways. Through aspiring ideas and sincere services we help our customers find new encounters and bring them joy. NEXCO West is committed to continued technological innovation as we strive to create new value over the next 100 years. We focus on expressway safety and security as we contribute to regional development and work to achieve a prosperous future.
About SkyDrive Inc.
SkyDrive is a Japanese eVTOL company aiming “to take the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution”. The company began testing eVTOL prototypes in 2014 prior to official incorporation in 2018. Under its future vision for urban transportation, flying in eVTOLs will become a regular part of city life. In 2019, SkyDrive became the first company to fly a crewed eVTOL in Japan. In 2025, the company successfully showcased the eVTOL "SKYDRIVE", the company’s first eVTOL product, with demonstration flights at the Osaka Expo witnessed by thousands of visitors over a one-month period. SkyDrive began production of “SKYDRIVE” in March 2024 at a plant owned by Suzuki Motor Corporation, SkyDrive's official production partner. SkyDrive has been working with civil aviation authorities in Japan and the US to obtain certification for “SKYDRIVE”, with the aim of launching the aircraft into service in 2028. SkyDrive is headquartered in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, and led by CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa, an engineer and entrepreneur.
For more information, please visit: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/
Editor’s Note: |
(*1) “eVTOL” is an abbreviation for electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing. As the name suggests, eVTOL aircraft can take off and land without a runway. eVTOLs are powered by electricity and incorporate advanced, automatic, flight control technology. |
Related press releases: |
Press release on demonstration flights at the Osaka Expo. |
Press release on demonstration flights at the Osaka Vertiport. |
Press release on demonstration flights in Tokyo. |
NEXCO West Mid-term Management Plan "MOVE!2030" (Japanese only). |
Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren) press release on a future vision for eVTOL services in the Kansai region (Japanese only). |
Contacts
Kaori Saito
Public Relations
SkyDrive Inc.
Email: info@skydrive.co.jp
https://skydrive.co.jp/en/contact
