Osaka Metro and SkyDrive Explore eVTOL Operations in Osaka

Japan’s Osaka Metro has signed an agreement with Toyota city-based eVTOL manufacturer SkyDrive to study the feasibility of using its SD-05 aircraft in the Osaka area after the Expo 2025 to be held in Osaka.

Osaka Metro and three other companies – Inventum Ventures, Energy & Environment Investment, Inc and Mizuho Bank – have invested in SkyDrive, which has completed another additional Series C funding round, secured through a third-party allocation of new shares. With this latest investment, the company has raised a total of $6.9 million across three additional Series C funding rounds.

SkyDrive’s mission is “taking the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution,” and its vision is to create a future where everyone uses eVTOLs for daily transportation in Japan and across the world.

SkyDrive was also selected to participate in the Advanced Air Mobility “Smart Mobility Expo” Project in 2025. Its vision is to create a future where everyone has access to eVTOLs as their daily transportation in Japan and across the world. It began production of “SKYDRIVE” in March 2024 at the plant owned by Suzuki Motor Company.

Osaka Metro operates eight subway lines and one New Tram for a distance of 137.8 km, which is an automated, driverless tram and around 2.4 million passengers use the Osaka Metro rapid transit system every day.

Osaka Metro is also advancing an urban Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) concept called “e METRO,” which integrates various modes of transport, including subways, buses, and taxis, to make Osaka city more convenient.

In addition to its fundamental mission as a ‘transportation infrastructure’ providing safety, security, and comfort, and as a ‘social infrastructure’ supporting daily life, the company also aims to serve as a ‘vitality infrastructure’ where diverse people meet and create new values together.

In February 2024, Osaka Metro was selected as an operator of a vertiport outside the Osaka World Expo site in Osaka while participating in the event’s AAM Smart Mobility Expo project.

Discussions Held

SkyDrive and Osaka Metro have discussed vertiport operations both during and after the Expo. As SkyDrive envisions a future where eVTOL becomes a common mode of daily transportation, the two companies recognized a shared vision and identified a strong alignment between their goals.

Under this agreement, SkyDrive and Osaka Metro will explore detailed business plans and operations to determine how they can practically use eVTOL technology.

At the time, Skydrive CEO and founder Tomohiro Fukuzawa stated he was “once again aware of the expectations for AAM at the Expo site and excited about the challenges ahead.”

The Expo itself will run from April until October 2025 and be located on the island of Yumeshima on Osaka’s waterfront. Further details about SkyDrive’s operations including routes, frequency and number of aircraft in operation are currently under discussion.

SkyDrive said that under plans for continued implementation of the SD-05, SkyDrive and Osaka Metro will explore detailed business plans and operations to determine how they can practically use eVTOL technology, which envisions a future where eVTOL becomes a common mode of daily transportation.