SkyDrive Reaches General Understanding with AeroGulf Services on Purchase of 20 eVTOL Aircraft with Anticipated Delivery Beginning in 2028

TOYOTA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--

SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading eVTOL (*1) aircraft manufacturer, today announced that it has reached a general understanding with AeroGulf Services Company LLC regarding the potential purchase of the 20 “SKYDRIVE (SkyDrive type SD-05 model)” eVTOL aircraft. This agreement outlines the framework, including pricing structure and delivery timelines, for 10 purchased units in 2028 and a further 10 units in 2029. These potential purchases mark a significant milestone in SkyDrive’s path toward the full-scale commercialization of its aircraft.

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This agreement represents SkyDrive's first detailed exploration of commercial parameters with a customer outside Japan. As a significant step forward in the international development of our business, it demonstrates SkyDrive's commitment to serving customers across the globe, and the importance SkyDrive places on doing business in the UAE. The details covered in the agreement include pricing considerations and delivery planning.

This partnership also puts AeroGulf Services, Dubai's premier helicopter charter operator, in a position to pioneer advanced air mobility in the Middle East, offering clients access to cutting-edge, zero-emission aviation technology.

Background

SkyDrive's mission is to "lead the once-in-a-century mobility revolution" by developing eVTOLs which seamlessly integrate the skies into daily transportation. Following successful demonstration flights at the Expo 2025 in Osaka(*2), the company is now focused on the next major milestone: achieving full-scale commercialization by 2028.

AeroGulf Service is dedicated to advancing a new tourism venture that utilizes environmentally conscious, next-generation mobility. Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in February 2025 to assess commercial flight paths above the renowned Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, the two companies subsequently agreed on a pre-order for as many as 50 aircraft (*3).

As a result of the extensive discussions that followed the initial partnership, the two companies have now progressed from the "evaluation stage" to reach formal agreement on fundamental terms for the purchase of 20 “SKYDRIVE (SkyDrive type SD-05 model)” aircraft. This agreement, which covers pricing and a delivery schedule, includes delivery of 10 units in 2028 and an additional 10 units in 2029. These deliveries are aimed to support the specific timeline for the commercialization of AeroGulf’s eVTOL services in Dubai, starting in 2028.  

SkyDrive will continue to work closely with AeroGulf Services to meet the above delivery and commercialization timelines.

Quotes

Tomohiro Fukuzawa, Founder/CEO, SkyDrive Inc.
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, AeroGulf Services Company LLC
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.

About AeroGulf Services Company LLC

Founded in 1976, AeroGulf Services is Dubai’s first commercial helicopter operator, primarily specializing in helicopter operations and maintenance. The company provides a wide range of aviation services, including cargo transport, aerial filming, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Renowned for its superior technical expertise in maintenance, AeroGulf Services is the partner of choice for both private enterprises and government entities.

https://www.aerogulfservices.com/

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://en.skydrive2020.com/

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.
(*2) Related press release: https://en.skydrive2020.com/archives/16292
(*3) Related press release: https://en.skydrive2020.com/archives/14734

eVTOL Aircraft Purchase Agreement Process

SkyDrive Reaches General Understanding with AeroGulf Services on Purchase of 20 eVTOL Aircraft with Anticipated Delivery Beginning in 2028

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An ailing astronaut returned to Earth with three others on Thursday, ending their space station mission more than a month early in NASA’s first medical evacuation.

SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the astronauts exited the International Space Station.

“It’s so good to be home,” said NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, the capsule commander.

It was an unexpected finish to a mission that began in August and left the orbiting lab with only one American and two Russians on board. NASA and SpaceX said they would try to move up the launch of a fresh crew of four; liftoff is currently targeted for mid-February.

Cardman and NASA’s Mike Fincke were joined on the return by Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. Officials have refused to identify the astronaut who had the health problem or explain what happened, citing medical privacy.

While the astronaut was stable in orbit, NASA wanted them back on Earth as soon as possible to receive proper care and diagnostic testing. The entry and splashdown required no special changes or accommodations, officials said, and the recovery ship had its usual allotment of medical experts on board. It was not immediately known when the astronauts would fly from California to their home base in Houston. Platonov’s return to Moscow was also unclear.

NASA stressed repeatedly over the past week that this was not an emergency. The astronaut fell sick or was injured on Jan. 7, prompting NASA to call off the next day’s spacewalk by Cardman and Fincke, and ultimately resulting in the early return. It was the first time NASA cut short a spaceflight for medical reasons. The Russians had done so decades ago.

The space station has gotten by with three astronauts before, sometimes even with just two. NASA said it will be unable to perform a spacewalk, even for an emergency, until the arrival of the next crew, which has two Americans, one French and one Russian astronaut.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

This screengrab from video provided by NASA TV shows the SpaceX Dragon departing from the International Space Station shortly after undocking with four NASA Crew-11 members inside on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This photo provided by NASA shows clockwise from bottom left are, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui gathering for a crew portrait wearing their Dragon pressure suits during a suit verification check inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows recovery vessels approaching the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 capsule to evacuate one of the crew members after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 members re entering the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 members re entering the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)