Leading Japanese eVTOL manufacturer SkyDrive Expands Strategic Network in Southeastern USA, focused on Florida

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

SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading Japanese eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) (*1) manufacturer, is pleased to announce the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Aeroauto Global, Inc (“Aeroauto”), a Florida-based Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) integration partner and infrastructure provider. This agreement marks a significant milestone in SkyDrive’s US expansion, solidifying its commitment to the Florida market and establishing the basic terms for the purchase of eight “SKYDRIVE (SD_05)” aircraft, including pricing and a delivery schedule.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260308467037/en/

SkyDrive has also come to an agreement with SAI Flight (“SAI”) (*2) to extend their existing partnership beyond South Carolina to Florida (*3), where SAI currently boasts their second largest operational base. With these two new agreements, SkyDrive has created a partnership cluster which, as attention to AAM in Florida grows, will ensure a smooth entry into service in 2028.

Florida is a high-potential market and these partnerships will expand SkyDrive’s US footprint in Florida and beyond, expanding our influence in the US Southeastern region.

By integrating SkyDrive’s proven expertise in eVTOL aircraft development with SAI’s air operations and Aeroauto’s established sales network, SkyDrive is building a comprehensive business foundation to support its U.S. market expansion. The complementary business models shared between SkyDrive, Aeroauto, and SAI represent a pivotal shift in the U.S. Advanced Air Mobility landscape, catalyzing a new wave of collaboration and operational readiness across the Southeastern corridor.

Strategic Expansion Across the U.S. Southeast

Driven by the mission to "lead the once-in-a-century mobility revolution," SkyDrive is developing eVTOL aircraft to make the skies a part of everyday transportation. The company has identified the U.S. Southeast—a major hub for the aerospace industry—as a key strategic region for business development.

By combining the operational ecosystem established in South Carolina with Aeroauto’s reach in Florida’s massive tourism and business markets, SkyDrive is creating a seamless regional network. This collaboration will allow SkyDrive to extend its collaborative framework with local governments and airports into Florida, leading the development of next-generation mobility infrastructure across the entire region.

Future Outlook with Aeroauto

Under the agreement, Aeroauto plans to deploy the eight aircraft sequentially, with four units scheduled for delivery in 2028 and the remaining four in 2029. Working alongside Aeroauto—operator of the world’s first specialized eVTOL showroom—SkyDrive will accelerate the social acceptance and practical adoption of eVTOLs in the rapidly growing Southeast market.

Executive Comments

Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO, SkyDrive: “We are thrilled to welcome Aeroauto as a powerful partner in Florida, following our initial establishment in South Carolina. At SkyDrive, we are focused on demonstrating a tangible business foundation in the U.S., backed by an active supply chain and a functional sales network. Building on our success at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka and subsequent demonstrations in Tokyo, we are committed to driving market expansion across the U.S. Southeast from 2028 onward alongside our American partners.”

Sean Borman, Founder & CEO, Aeroauto: “Florida represents one of the most compelling launch markets for Advanced Air Mobility anywhere in the world. Our partnership with SkyDrive brings together a powerful combination of aircraft innovation, operational expertise, and infrastructure development. Through Aeroauto’s sales platform, vertiport development initiatives, and regional partnerships, we are working to build the commercial gateway for eVTOL operations across Florida and the broader Southeast United States. We are proud to collaborate with SkyDrive and SAI Flight Services to help bring this new form of transportation into everyday use.”

Hunter Cuthbertson III, President of SAI Flight: “SAI Flight Services has been growing our operations in Florida over the past years. Given our collaboration with SkyDrive and Florida's focus on leading the US in incorporating AAM operations, we're happy to be part of this partnership cluster. As AAM becomes a reality in the coming years, we're thrilled to be able to offer our clientele new services. ”

About Aeroauto Global, Inc

Aeroauto Global Inc. is a Florida-based Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company focused on accelerating the commercial adoption of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The company operates the world’s first dedicated eVTOL aircraft showroom and sales platform, connecting manufacturers, operators, infrastructure partners, and customers within a unified ecosystem. In addition to aircraft sales and distribution, Aeroauto supports the development of vertiport infrastructure, charging systems, maintenance capabilities, pilot training pathways, and operational partnerships needed to enable safe and scalable AAM networks. Through these initiatives, Aeroauto is helping build the commercial gateway for Advanced Air Mobility across Florida and the Southeastern United States.

More information: https://aeroautosales.com

About SAI

Founded in 2013 by third-generation aviation expert Ralph "Hunter" Cuthbertson III, SAI Flight is a leader in regional aircraft charter management based at Greenville Spartanburg International Airport (GSP). Committed to a "back-to-basics" philosophy, SAI provides a full suite of services, including aircraft maintenance, refurbishing, international ferry flights, and specialized aviation consulting. Known for its reliability and integrity, SAI Flight continues to deliver unparalleled service and expert solutions to partners across the aviation industry.

More information: https://www.saiflight.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://skydrive.co.jp/en/

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) The two companies, SAI Flight Services, Inc., which provides flight services, and SAI Flight Support Inc., which handles maintenance, are collectively referred to as “SAI Flight”.

(*3) Related Press Release:* SkyDrive Establishes U.S. Subsidiary in South Carolina: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/archives/13909

Reference Press Releases:
Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Demo Flights :
https://skydrive.co.jp/en/archives/16094https://skydrive.co.jp/en/archives/16292
Osaka Bay Area Demo Flight: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/archives/16771
Tokyo Demo Flight: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/archives/17702

Image of SKYDRIVE flying over Miami Beach, Florida

LOI Signing Ceremony at VERTICON 2026 in Atlanta, GA (March 9, 2026) From left: Sean Borman, Founder & CEO of Aeroauto, Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO of SkyDrive

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A massive avalanche of garbage at Indonesia’s largest landfill killed seven people after heavy overnight rain triggered a rubbish dump collapse, officials said Tuesday.

More than 300 search-and-rescue personnel, using heavy machinery and sniffer dogs, were deployed to the sprawling dump site late Sunday at the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Treatment Facility in Bekasi, a city just outside the capital of Jakarta. Rescuers worked cautiously amid unstable heaps of waste, said Desiana Kartika Bahari, who heads Jakarta's Search and Rescue Office.

She said the victims included two garbage truck drivers, three scavengers and two food stall sellers who had been working or resting near the landfill, while six people managed to escape the disaster. No more missing people were reported by families as of Tuesday morning, Bahari said.

Photos and videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed excavators digging through the collapsed mound, where several garbage trucks and small food stalls were buried.

The National Disaster Management Agency's spokesperson, Abdul Muhari, urged strict safety protocols during the search, noting that rain was forecast in the area and further movement in the trash mounds could endanger those conducting the search.

Sunday's deadly collapse renewed scrutiny of Bantargebang, a critical but overwhelmed landfill that receives most of Greater Jakarta’s daily household waste. The site has faced repeated warnings about capacity, prompting efforts to overhaul Indonesia’s waste management system.

Late last year, the government announced a two-year deadline to clear Bantargebang through an accelerated waste-to-energy project aimed at reducing chronic over reliance on open dumping. The initiative, backed by a new presidential regulation intended to streamline licensing and encourage investment, calls for converting refuse into electrical or thermal energy.

In this photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) on Monday, March 9, 2026, rescuers use heavy machines to search for victims of an avalanche of garbage that killed multiple people at a dump site in Bantargebang, West Java, Indonesia. (BASARNAS via AP)

In this photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) on Monday, March 9, 2026, rescuers inspect the site of an avalanche of garbage that killed multiple people as heavy machines are used to search for victims at a landfill in Bantargebang, West Java, Indonesia. (BASARNAS via AP)