SkyDrive Inc. has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Tohoku Air Service (TAS) covering the planned acquisition of one SKYDRIVE SD-05 electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Delivery is targeted for 2028.
The agreement represents SkyDrive’s first LOI for the purchase of an aircraft by a helicopter operator based in Japan.
TAS operates as part of the Tohoku Electric Power Company group. Established in 1991, the company draws on more than 38 years of power line inspection expertise developed within its parent organisation. Over the past three decades, TAS has provided helicopter services supporting electrical infrastructure maintenance, including aerial inspection of transmission lines and the transport of cargo to mountainous and otherwise difficult-to-access regions. Its operations play a key role in supporting infrastructure reliability across the Tohoku region.
Tohoku Air Service expects to make use of the operational benefits associated with eVTOL aircraft, including reduced noise levels and potentially lower acquisition and maintenance costs. The company is also considering a broad range of applications, such as sightseeing operations, passenger and cargo transport, and specialist uses in medical services and disaster response. TAS said its decision to enter into the agreement reflects the potential of the technology to support improved quality of life through enhanced safety, reliability, and comfort.
SkyDrive is developing the SD-05 as part of its wider programme to commercialise eVTOL aircraft in Japan. In 2025, the company conducted demonstration flights of the SKYDRIVE (Model SD-05) over a six-week period at Expo 2025 Osaka, as well as at a second vertiport site within Osaka. Additional demonstration flights were later conducted in Tokyo in February 2026, forming part of ongoing preparations for commercial operations.
Tohoku Air Service President Shigeyuki Ouchi, commented, “Signing of this Letter of Intent with SkyDrive as a step towards the purchase of one ‘SKYDRIVE’ (SkyDrive Model SD-05) lets us advance our concrete investigations into the real world operation of this next-generation technology. We will conduct a detailed confirmation of the functionality, safety, and infrastructure requirements, to assess the operational feasibility of eVTOL services from multiple perspectives.
Working together with SkyDrive, the only company in Japan developing an eVTOL, allows us to feed the operational knowledge we have built through our helicopter operations into the development of SkyDrive’s aircraft. We also plan to develop a multi-use operating model that can serve the people of the Tohoku Region and Niigata Prefecture in various ways including the provision of tourism services, regional transport routes, medical services and post-disaster relief services. These services will contribute to the regional economy and help create a safe, secure and comfortable urban environment.”
SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa, added, “I am truly delighted that Tohoku Air Service has been able to sign this Letter of Intent with SkyDrive as a step toward the future purchase of one of our aircraft. SkyDrive, guided by our mission of leading this once-in-a-century mobility revolution, is focused on the development and entry into service of a viable eVTOL aircraft. Through demonstration flights at the Osaka Expo, Osakako Port and Tokyo Bay, we have steadily validated the technical capabilities and operational possibilities of our aircraft, and we are now moving into an important phase that will lead through to the start of service in 2028.
This agreement with Tohoku Air Service, a company with more than three decades of experience in providing air transport services to customers in Tohoku, is a significant step for SkyDrive. The LOI will deliver a major contribution toward establishing and maintaining a sustainable transport ecosystem based on multifunctional eVTOL operation in Tohoku, with these operations covering various fields including sightseeing flights, regional transportation, and post-disaster relief services. Together, we will continue working to deliver new value to regional communities through air mobility, creating new opportunities for people and industry that can help the region further expand its potential.”
Both organisations will continue to evaluate aircraft functionality, safety requirements, infrastructure needs, and broader operational feasibility as they assess potential future deployment of eVTOL services.
SkyDrive continues to target the commencement of commercial operations in 2028.
