SkyDrive and AeroGulf Services Company LLC have reached a general understanding regarding the purchase of 20 SD-05 model eVTOL aircraft for operations in the United Arab Emirates.
The agreement marks a transition from initial evaluation to a formal commercial framework, outlining specific pricing structures and delivery timelines. Under the current plan, the first 10 units are scheduled for delivery in 2028, with the remaining 10 units following in 2029. This development represents SkyDrive’s first detailed exploration of commercial parameters with a customer outside of its home market in Japan.
AeroGulf Services, a long-standing helicopter charter operator in Dubai, intends to use the electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft to pioneer advanced air mobility in the Middle East. The initiative focuses on a new tourism venture that utilizes environmentally conscious mobility, specifically targeting commercial flight paths above the Palm Jumeirah. This progression follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed in February 2025 and a subsequent pre-order for up to 50 aircraft.
The partnership leverages a manufacturing collaboration between SkyDrive and Suzuki Motor Corporation to produce the aircraft. SkyDrive is currently working toward full-scale commercialization by 2028, following planned demonstration flights at Expo 2025 in Osaka.
Tomohiro Fukuzawa, Founder and CEO of SkyDrive Inc., said, “Reaching a general understanding on commercial parameters for up to 20 SkyDrive aircraft with AeroGulf Services, Dubai’s premier helicopter charter operator, is a significant step toward global commercialization and a source of great inspiration for our team. This important milestone underscores the Middle East’s role as a critical strategic hub in realizing SkyDrive’s vision of everyday air mobility. By establishing a framework that addresses both pricing and delivery considerations for 2028 and 2029, our transition from development to operations grows closer. The focus on the iconic Palm Jumeirah will demonstrate how eVTOL technology can transform tourism and urban mobility. Through our manufacturing partnership with Suzuki Motor Corporation, we are committed to delivering safe, high-quality aircraft. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with AeroGulf Services as we work toward advancing Dubai’s position at the forefront of sustainable aviation.”
Fahad Mohammad Mir Hashem Khoory, CEO of AeroGulf Services Company LLC., added, “For almost half a century, AeroGulf has been the pulse of Dubai’s skies. We were the ones who first took up the challenge of flying in a helicopter to oil platforms, when the journey of this city began. Today, we cherish that heritage by electing to lead again. Far from being just a transaction, our partnership with SkyDrive represents an investment in our people and in the future of our home. We hope to give flight back to society as nature intended it: silent, sustainable, and seamless. Bringing these 20 eVTOL aircraft to Dubai continues an assurance that our skies will remain a symbol of progress that pays respect to our environment and our heritage. We don’t wait for the future in Dubai; we build it with our own hands. AeroGulf was there at the start, and we are here now to ensure the next chapter of aviation is as bold and inspiring as the first.”
