Former Airbus Japan President Stéphane Ginoux Appointed as Advisor to SkyDrive

TOYOTA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 14, 2026--

SkyDrive Inc. ("SkyDrive"), a leading compact eVTOL (*1) aircraft developer based in Japan, announced today that Stéphane Ginoux has joined SkyDrive as an advisor, effective August 1, 2026. In his previous role, Ginoux was concurrently the President of Airbus Japan and the Head of Airbus operations in North Asia.

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Ginoux has approximately 30 years of experience in the aviation industry. During his tenure at Airbus, he spearheaded business expansion across the Japanese and North Asian markets, fostering collaboration with corporations, government agencies, and research institutions.

After joining SkyDrive, Ginoux will help the company achieve its declared mission of "leading a once-in-a-century mobility revolution”, creating a world in which eVTOL travel becomes a regular feature of city life.

SkyDrive aims to harness Ginoux’s broad network of government and business partners, in addition to the extensive business development experience gained at Airbus. Ginoux will provide strategic support across a wide range of areas including business development in Japan and Asia, stakeholder engagement with governments, local authorities, and industry associations, and also collaboration with business partners.

SkyDrive looks forward to leveraging Ginoux’s aviation industry expertise and extensive network to accelerate the launch and worldwide adoption of eVTOL aircraft developed in Japan.

Comment from Stéphane Ginoux

"One hundred years ago, humanity first succeeded in flying like birds, if only for a few seconds. Today, we can travel by airplane to virtually any destination on Earth in less than a day. The next step is to enable people to use the sky as naturally as they use the ground, giving people even greater freedom in the way they move. The value that this new form of mobility can bring to society is clear.

I am honored to join SkyDrive in this exciting challenge of bringing this transformative mode of transportation to Japan and the world in the best possible way."

Comment from Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO of SkyDrive Inc.

"Stéphane Ginoux has spent many years leading business developments, public-private partnerships, and industrial partnerships in the Japanese and Asian aviation industries. Profitable eVTOL businesses will not be built only through successful aircraft development. True market success will require wide-ranging collaboration with partners in various fields of government and industry across multiple fields including operations, regulatory compliance, and infrastructure development. By drawing on Ginoux's rich experience and international network, we will further accelerate the drive to develop and launch our Japan-based eVTOL and then scale it internationally”.

Stéphane Ginoux: Career Summary

Stéphane Ginoux, a native of France, came to Japan in 1992 under a French government assignment. He worked at Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), before serving in the commercial section of the French Embassy in Japan.

He joined Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) in 1996. In 2009, he founded Airbus Helicopters Japan. In 2010, he was appointed Representative Director and President of Airbus Japan while continuing to lead Airbus Helicopters Japan. From 2016, he also served as Airbus Group Japan Representative before being appointed Head of North Asia for Airbus, overseeing Airbus' business across the North Asia region, including Japan and South Korea.

During his tenure, he played a key role in expanding Airbus' commercial aircraft business in Japan, building the foundation of its helicopter business, strengthening collaboration with Japanese companies and government agencies, and advancing sustainable aviation initiatives, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrogen-powered aviation.

Following his retirement from Airbus in June 2025, he currently provides strategic advisory support to Japanese and international companies.

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/

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.

Former Airbus Japan President Stéphane Ginoux Appointed as Advisor to SkyDrive

PARIS (AP) — Firefighters across France and in central England struggled against multiple fires Friday as a new wave of record-breaking heat baked a swath of Europe, their task further complicated by exceptionally parched landscapes.

With France experiencing its driest year ever, a new fire raced through woodlands overnight in the Landes region on the southwest coast. The blaze forced more than 500 people to evacuate their homes in the town of Luglon as hundreds of firefighters deployed to the area, the regional administration said Friday.

It’s one of several fires scorching forests around France this week, including in normally cooler and wetter regions in the north and Brittany. A historic fire devoured forests near Bordeaux last month and pushed a quarter of a million people from their homes.

After the U.K. recorded its hottest day of the year, wildfires raced across the West Midlands and saw several houses burned to the ground. They have been “one of the most significant” incidents the region’s fire service has ever dealt with, chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said.

Some 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, according to data from the National Fire Chiefs Council.

The fires came on the hottest day of the year, when temperatures reached 38.1 degrees Celsius (100.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in west London.

In France, temperatures Thursday approached 41 C (106 F) in several areas, from Aquitaine in the southwest to the Rhone River valley in the east, according to the national weather service. They were forecast to reach similar levels Friday before dropping over the weekend.

The historic temperatures are linked to human-caused climate change, and are hitting countries more designed for long cold seasons and ill-equipped for this sort of heat, with limited air conditioning.

In Croatia, seven people remained in life-threatening condition early Friday from a fire that raged overnight by the coastal town of Omis and forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate their homes.

The fire erupted late Thursday in an Omis suburb and quickly spread because of strong wind. Public broadcaster HRT said the blaze came close to the town’s center, and parts of Omis were left without electricity while many cars were burned.

Croatian media published photos from a crowded sports hall in Omis where people crammed on beds and on the floor. Witnesses told HRT that people were jumping into the sea after boats also caught fire.

Firefighters put out the blaze by Friday morning as other crews in planes headed further south toward the Peljesac peninsula where another wildfire broke out overnight.

Altogether, 36 people from Omis sought medical care. Fourteen were hospitalized, including the seven with life-threatening injuries.

Meanwhile, in northern Greece, more than 300 vacationers and residents were evacuated by sea Thursday after a wildfire swept through a pine forest and threatened seaside homes, authorities said.

A pharmacy sign displays a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in Bordeaux, France, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, as a heatwave affects much of the country. (AP Photo/Caroline Blumberg)

A woman splashes water on her face at a public fountain on a hot day in Bordeaux, France, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, as a heatwave affects much of the country. (AP Photo/Caroline Blumberg)

A safety signage to avoid fires is seen at Baitings reservoir near Sowerby Bridge as water levels drop throught the country, in Sowerby Bridge, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

A person holds an umbrella and walks through dry grass at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)