SkyDrive Reaches Agreement with Japan’s Civil Aviation Authority on its General Certification Plan, a Core Element of the Type Certification Process

TOYOTA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 9, 2026--

SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading eVTOL (*1) aircraft manufacturer based in Japan, today announced that it has reached agreement with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (“JCAB”) on the General Certification Plan for its “SKYDRIVE” (SkyDrive Model SD-05). The agreement marks another major step forward in the aircraft’s type certification program (*2).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260308100267/en/

The General Certification Plan describes the overall plan of activities required to demonstrate the aircraft’s compliance with legal requirements, including the processes and cooperative steps that will be required between JCAB and SKYDRIVE to achieve type certification. As agreement with the plan shows that the JCAB is aligned with SkyDrive on how to demonstrate the overall safety of the aircraft, the agreement represents a core certification milestone that significantly reduces future type certification risk.

When certifying an aircraft, agreement with the regulatory authority must be reached not only on the General Certification Plan, but also on the various other certification plans which cover other aspects of the aircraft hardware and performance. Examples include the individual Certification Plans for structure, systems, electric motors and noise. SkyDrive has already submitted all of these other certification plans to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), where they are currently under review.

Once agreement is reached on all further Certification Plans, the program will advance to start compliance testing, which is expected in the near future and marks significant progress toward achieving Type Certification, marking what can be described as the final stage of the development phase.

To recap, the type certification process consists of six overall steps. With today’s conclusion of the new agreement on the General Certification Plan, and with significant progress towards agreement over the Means of Compliance required to align the remaining system-specific certification plans, SkyDrive is moving steadily forwards toward the successful completion of the Steps 3 and 4 shown above.

Step 3 and 4 in Brief:

Step 3: Agreement on Means of Compliance

This step defines the detailed design standards that indicate how SkyDrive will show compliance with the requirements established under the Certification Basis agreed in Step 2.

E.g. Agree that rotors should be assessed by conducting rotor durability tests and confirming that the rotors pass the tests undamaged.

Step 4: Agreement on the Certification Plan

This step involves agreement on the specific details of how to execute the tests determined in Step 3.

E.g. Agree to perform the rotor durability tests as a ground-based rig test conducted using a motor and rotor assembly.

Comment from Arnaud Coville, Chief Technology Officer, SkyDrive Inc.

Reaching agreement with JCAB on the General Certification Plan represents an extremely significant milestone for SkyDrive. The agreement, which shortens the projected timeline for compliance activities and reduces future risk, shows that we are on the right track for the certification of our Aircraft with the JCAB and FAA. Only a very limited number of players worldwide have reached this stage in the type certification process.

We will first advance type certification with the JCAB and then, working together with Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), look to make further progress along pathway to FAA certification.

Looking ahead to the commercial launch of our eVTOL in 2028, we will continue to move steadily forward with our aircraft development.

Editor’s Notes:

(*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) Please see the following link for a related press release on the path towards type certification of the SKYDRIVE: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/archives/14401

*Degrees of progress shown above are figures calculated by SkyDrive based on the current status of discussions with the JCAB and progress in the JCAB assessment process.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Two teenagers mistakenly left a knapsack containing marijuana and cash at a donation area outside a New Zealand charity shop then returned in a panic to retrieve the bag, police said Monday.

A volunteer at the store noticed a pungent aroma before opening the knapsack and finding plastic bags of marijuana amounting to 43.2 grams (1.5 ounces) and 3,700 New Zealand dollars ($2,200) in banknotes, New Zealand Police said in a statement.

Using marijuana recreationally and selling the drug are illegal in New Zealand. Some medical use is allowed with a doctor’s prescription.

Police said the episode happened Feb. 18 in the Southland region of the South Island. A spokesperson wouldn’t give more details of the shop’s location to protect staff.

The boy and girl had left the knapsack outside the shop as they waited for their vehicle to be serviced at a nearby workshop, the police statement said. Officers were called after the agitated teens returned to the store.

Police found an air pistol — which those under 18 can’t possess without a license and adult supervision — a police scanner and more cash in the teens' car. It's not illegal to have a police scanner in New Zealand, but distributing or acting on information heard is a crime.

Police didn’t divulge details about any charges the arrested teens faced or if they had appeared in a court.

New Zealand has strict rules about what can be reported from cases before the Youth Court, where cases of alleged offenders younger than 17 are usually heard.

In this image provided by the New Zealand Police items donated to a charity story including marijuana and cash are displayed in Southland, New Zealand, Feb. 18, 2026. (New Zealand Police via AP)