SkyDrive Exhibits Full-Size Mockup Overseas for the First Time

TOYOTA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 3, 2026--

SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading compact eVTOL (*1) aircraft developer based in Japan, is pleased to announce the successful completion of a promotional event held together with leading Indonesian helicopter operator Whitesky Aviation, at Whitesky’s Cengkareng Heliport, strategically located next to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta. The event, held over two days from June 23 to June 24, confirmed demand for the aircraft from potential customers in the mining and agriculture industries, as well as among government organizations.

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SkyDrive sees opportunities for growth in Indonesia due to a combination of factors which affect standards of living and productivity in both urban and rural areas. The Jakarta metropolitan area experiences annual economic losses from traffic congestion estimated at approximately 65 trillion rupiah (*2). Both the mining industry (a major industry in various Indonesian regions accounting in total for approximately 10% of regional GDP (*3)) and Indonesia’s vast agricultural plantations (which exceed 15 million hectares in area (*4)) are affected by logistics and disaster response delays resulting from underdeveloped infrastructure.

At the above event, SkyDrive exhibited a full-scale mockup of the "SKYDRIVE (SkyDrive Model SD-05)" outside Japan for the first time, presenting the attendees with various proposals for specific practical eVTOL applications aimed at resolving the social challenges Indonesia is working to resolve.

The History of Cooperation between SkyDrive and Whitesky

SkyDrive and Whitesky entered a strategic alliance for the launch of eVTOL operations in Indonesia back in August 2025 (*5). Since then, both parties have been working together to discuss the future of the business and develop specific business plans.

The cooperation between the two companies began with a focus on resolving the extreme chronic traffic problems that currently affect quality of life in Jakarta. One specific issue caused by congestion is the slow speed of road travel between Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and the city center. As Whitesky runs the Cengkareng Heliport, conveniently located next to the airport, air taxi services between the airport and the city center formed a natural starting point for discussions on the future feasibility of urban eVTOL routes.

Talks between SkyDrive and Whitesky on alleviating urban traffic congestion were followed by further investigations into the potential role of eVTOL in supporting the mining and agricultural industries that play such an important role in driving the sustainable development of Indonesia’s economy.

While natural resource mining is a key industry on Indonesian islands including Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Sumatra, mining sites are frequently located in areas with limited road infrastructure leading to logistical inefficiencies and delays in providing medical treatment to the victims of the industrial accidents in these areas, which may occur as frequently as a few times per week.

Alongside mining, both companies are also investigating potential for cooperation in the agricultural sector due to the huge size of Indonesia’s many agricultural plantations. While drones are currently used for spotting forest fires and wide-ranging surveillance patrols, the large distances involved can limit effective drone deployment.

As talks between SkyDrive and Whitesky moved beyond urban air taxi services to encompass eVTOL services for regional industries, it became clear that eVTOLs offer potential for reduced operating costs and lower environmental impact in both scenarios. With this in mind, the current event was held to build momentum towards specific eVTOL usage cases in these fields.

Proposed Use Cases

Following initial discussions focusing on the usage of eVTOL aircraft for urban air taxi services, SkyDrive and Whitesky are now moving forward with concrete investigations into eVTOL applications in various major regional industries as described below.

Currently, conventional helicopters are used to provide some of the above services. Switching these helicopters to eVTOLs will allow for lower operating costs, fewer emissions, and quieter operations.

Event Summary

At the event, senior representatives of the Indonesian government and private sector companies were able to experience first-hand the size and comfort of a mockup of the SKYDRIVE (SD-05), which was on exhibit outside Japan for the first time. SkyDrive was able to confirm the strong level of interest among attendees over the respective roles that the aircraft can play in Indonesia’s urban and rural areas. Some attendees shared enthusiastic feedback, noting: “The diverse range of potential business cases within Indonesia provides ample opportunity for the future introduction of SkyDrive’s eVTOL aircraft, with potential applications including shuttle operations for mining companies, land surveillance for large agricultural holdings, and avoidance of traffic congestion in urban areas” and “we can see great potential in the aircraft as an economic alternative to helicopters and also as a means to create new industrial value through advanced technology”.

Comments

Mr. Muhammad Neil El Himam, Deputy Chairman for Digital and Technology Creativity at The Ministry of Creative Economy/Agency for Creative Economy:
The next-generation Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and eVTOL technologies developed by SkyDrive represent a 'new face' that brings innovation to our creative economy. We are confident that the introduction of SkyDrive's advanced technology will go beyond a mere evolution in transportation, creating immense economic value through new intellectual property and specialized jobs. For Indonesia to become a nation capable of developing and managing new technologies, it is essential for global companies like SkyDrive and local partners to unite in building a 'complete ecosystem' through industry-academia-government collaboration. We welcome and will strongly support SkyDrive's continuous challenge to propel the future of mobility.

Mr. Sokhib Al Rokhman, S.SiT., S.T., M.T.,
Director of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operations, Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia
Our country welcomes new technologies in next-generation mobility, and we highly evaluate the initiatives taken by private sectors. While there will be absolutely no compromise on aviation safety and security, we are prepared to flexibly advance our regulatory framework. This includes utilizing existing structures and providing multiple airports as regulatory sandboxes for demonstration trials. To facilitate the introduction of foreign-made aircraft such as SkyDrive, we hope to conclude an agreement on the type certification validation process with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in the future to ensure smooth cooperation. In alignment with the company's plan to launch commercial operations as early as 2029, we will fully commit ourselves over the next three years to developing the necessary regulations for safe commercial operations.

Future Developments

Through this event, SkyDrive and Whitesky gathered data on potential eVTOL applications in various industries, including the transportation of personnel and goods, emergency medical services, and land surveillance. This data will be harnessed for the various feasibility tests required to prepare for commercialization. Both companies will also work together, through public-private cooperation with the Indonesian government, to develop the processes required for the certification of eVTOL aircraft in Indonesia. The first step toward commercial services in Indonesia is to prepare the infrastructure and operational systems needed to support commercial eVTOL flights in the mining areas in Kalimantan and urban air taxi services in and around Jakarta.

About PT Whitesky Aviation

Whitesky Aviation is a premier Indonesian aviation company that has been redefining air mobility across the archipelago since 2010. Backed by an official Aircraft Operator Certificate (AOC 135-016), Whitesky operates a robust fleet of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft specializing in non-scheduled charter services tailored to corporate, private, medical, and tourism needs. With a deep commitment to safety, precision, and customer satisfaction, the company has become a trusted partner for clients seeking efficient access to remote areas, high-priority logistics, or premium flight experiences. From supporting strategic infrastructure projects to executing emergency evacuations and luxury leisure trips, Whitesky blends operational excellence with local expertise to deliver high-impact, reliable solutions. As Indonesia’s demand for vertical and regional air connectivity continues to rise, Whitesky Aviation stands at the forefront—driven by innovation, empowered by skilled professionals, and inspired by the mission to connect people, opportunities, and regions that conventional transportation often leaves behind.
For more information, please visit: https://www.whitesky.co.id/

About SkyDrive Inc.

SkyDrive is a Japanese compact 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/

SkyDrive Exhibits Full-Size Mockup Overseas for the First Time

SkyDrive Exhibits Full-Size Mockup Overseas for the First Time

SkyDrive Exhibits Full-Size Mockup Overseas for the First Time

Despite severe fuel shortages across Russia, President Vladimir Putin appears unbothered by Ukraine’s increasing attacks on his country’s oil refineries.

He has shrugged off the setback for one of the world’s leading oil-producing nations as “not critical,” dismissed ceasefire proposals and insisted the war will continue until his goals are met.

Putin has described the attacks on Russian energy as an effort by Ukraine to distract attention from its losses on the battlefield, although analysts say the advance of Russian forces has been stymied in recent months. The Russian leader appears to believe his government can keep the fuel crisis from eroding his authority and support for the war he launched more than four years ago.

The Russian military unleashed a massive 11-hour barrage on the Ukrainian capital overnight into Thursday morning that killed at least 30 people. It was one of the deadliest attacks on Kyiv since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Here's a deeper look at the latest exchange of strikes and Putin’s refusal to halt the fighting:

There have been more than 50 reported Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and other energy facilities in Russia and occupied Crimea since March — a barrage Ukrainian leaders have said is intended to pressure Moscow to end the war.

At the very least, the attacks have brought the war home even more poignantly for millions of Russians, shattering Putin’s narrative of the conflict as something that doesn’t affect the lives of ordinary people in his country.

An estimated one-third of Russia’s refining capacity has been cut off, according to Chris Weafer, CEO of the consultancy Macro-Advisory. The attacks have inflicted lasting damage that will be costly to fix.

Despite significant air defenses protecting Russia's capital, a top refinery in Moscow has been hit twice. The second strike on June 18 set it ablaze, damaging key equipment that will reportedly take until the end of the year to repair.

With gasoline production in Russia reduced by roughly 17% to 850,000 barrels a day, according to government statistics, rationing has been introduced in many regions, and motorists have had to wait in line for hours to refuel.

Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has faced the worst fuel shortages. Gasoline sales to individuals have been periodically halted there altogether.

Putin chaired a meeting of government officials last weekend to discuss the fuel shortages.

In televised statements, he acknowledged the country was going through a “difficult period.” He pledged to accelerate repairs of energy facilities and said Russia would consider importing gasoline to help make up for what he described as “temporary” shortages. He also said Russia's arms industry will boost production of air defense systems to fend off future Ukrainian attacks.

Putin portrayed the Ukrainian strikes as an attempt to divide Russian society, halt Moscow's offensive and try to force the Kremlin into negotiations on “terms advantageous to our adversary.”

“We will not give them that chance,” he said.

While Putin said Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities “have absolutely no effect on the situation at the front,” Western military analysts say mid-range strikes on the Russian army in recent months have hampered military logistics and slowed the tempo of its advance, leaving the battlefield in a stalemate.

Putin claims Russian forces are still advancing across the roughly 1,000 kilometer-long (620 mile-long) front line. In an interview last weekend with state TV, Putin mentioned the names of small villages and even streets in Ukraine.

The Russian president has responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's offer to meet by challenging him to come to Moscow, a non-starter to Ukraine.

Putin has rejected a truce that Kyiv and its Western allies have proposed. He says it would only give Ukrainian forces time to rest and regroup.

He has made any ceasefire conditional on Ukraine's withdrawal from the part of the Donetsk region it still controls, a demand rejected by Ukraine. Putin has said that a final peace deal must oblige Ukraine to abandon its bid to join NATO, reduce its military and protect Russian language and culture.

In last Sunday's interview, Putin claimed that Ukraine had offered to limit the fighting to the four regions that Russia annexed but never fully captured: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. He said he rejected the proposal because it would free up Ukrainian forces from other areas where Russian troops have made inroads and let them focus on fending off the Russian attacks in the four southeastern regions.

“Faced with a catastrophic shortage of personnel, the armed forces of Ukraine apparently believe this could be their salvation,” Putin said. “Saving the Kyiv regime is not part of our plans.”

The Kremlin said the offer was made via confidential channels; Ukrainian officials have not publicly discussed any such proposal.

Putin also dismissed a Ukrainian proposal to mutually halt strikes deep into each other's territory. Russian attacks deep into Ukraine are “much more powerful, sensitive and, frankly speaking, destructive,” he said.

In Thursday's deadly barrage on Kyiv, Russia once again hit residential areas even as it claimed to be targeting military sites. By contrast, the vast majority of Ukrainian strikes in Russia have hit oil facilities, weapons factories and other military targets.

A United Nations tally says more than 16,000 Ukrainian civilians have died in the war.

A man reacts at the site of a Russian missile strike that hit a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Cars line up at a Lukoil gas station in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Kaliningrad Region Governor Alexey Besprozvannykh in Moscow, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Smoke rises over the city center after a Russian attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A woman looks at an apartment building burning after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)