TOYOTA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 4, 2026--
SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading compact eVTOL aircraft (*1) developer based in Japan, announced that it has signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Goyang Special City, a prominent South Korean metropolis leading vertiport development as the Seoul Capital Area hub for South Korea's national urban air mobility (K-UAM) initiative, and Verty Co. Ltd. (“Verty”), a Seoul-based company establishing integrated systems across flight operations, air traffic management and vertiport administration. Under this agreement, the three parties will collaborate across the public and private sectors to establish operational infrastructure, conduct flight trials and build a regional ecosystem to prepare for commercial eVTOL flights in Goyang City.
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Background and Objectives
Driven by its vision of making daily air transportation a reality, SkyDrive is developing and manufacturing compact eVTOL aircraft. Following uncrewed demonstration flights at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (*2), SkyDrive reached an agreement with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau on its project plan and type certification basis, making steady progress toward obtaining commercial airworthiness certification (*3). Leveraging assembly lines established in collaboration with Suzuki Motor Corporation, SkyDrive is currently advancing commercialization projects alongside local partners and municipalities across 10 countries.
South Korea represents a key strategic market for SkyDrive’s global expansion, aligned with the roadmap set by South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to launch commercial eVTOL operations by 2028. SkyDrive's compact multirotor design is well suited for rooftop vertiport operations (*4), offering a practical solution to urban congestion in densely populated metropolitan areas. To establish commercial operations in South Korea, SkyDrive has partnered with Verty (*5) to assess operational feasibility and develop an end-to-end operational framework encompassing flight operations, fleet management and vertiport infrastructure.
As part of their joint initiative to foster public acceptance of advanced air mobility across South Korea, SkyDrive and Verty co-hosted an exhibition booth at DRONE-UAM EXPO 2026, held at KINTEX in Goyang, Nov. 4-6, 2026. The booth featured a 20% scale mockup of the commercial SKYDRIVE (SD-05 model) aircraft, showcasing the practical future of next-generation air mobility to industry stakeholders and visitors.
Goyang Special City, with a population exceeding 1 million, serves as a leading MICE and cultural center adjacent to Gimpo International Airport. Designated as the primary metropolitan demonstration site for the national K-UAM Grand Challenge, Goyang is rapidly constructing vertiport testbeds and aviation infrastructure around KINTEX. The city is spearheading comprehensive initiatives to establish itself as a central air mobility hub, including aerospace workforce development with Korea Aerospace University, an industry-academia integration complex in the Baekseok district and multimodal transportation models connecting healthcare and tourism resources.
With the shared vision of SkyDrive as an aircraft manufacturer, Verty as an operational and infrastructure integrator, and Goyang Special City as a metropolitan demonstration hub, the three parties established this tripartite MOU. Moving forward, the partners will unite the private sector’s advanced technologies and operational expertise with municipal infrastructure and policy support, collaborating across the public and private sectors to establish the operational foundation for flight trials and commercial eVTOL services in Goyang.
Key Areas of Collaboration
Under the MOU, the three parties will focus on the following key areas to establish a sustainable industrial ecosystem and support commercial operations:
Executive Quotes
Min Kyeong-seon, mayor of Goyang Special City
“Goyang Special City is leading the validation and commercialization of South Korea’s advanced air mobility sector, anchored by our metropolitan K-UAM demonstration site and the KINTEX vertiport infrastructure. This agreement marks a decisive step toward integrating aircraft, flight operations, air traffic management and vertiports into a practical transportation network that citizens can experience firsthand. Working closely with SkyDrive and Verty, we will develop Goyang Special City into an international hub for the global UAM industry.”
Dongwoo Kim, CEO of Verty Co. Ltd.
“We feel a strong sense of responsibility as we prepare for commercial eVTOL operations alongside SkyDrive in Goyang, the safest and most viable launching ground in the Seoul Capital Area. SkyDrive’s aircraft design demonstrates sound business viability from the initial stages of commercial service. Furthermore, Goyang’s position as a dynamic cultural metropolis of 1 million people makes it the ideal environment to expand public acceptance globally. This is precisely why we hold such high expectations for this tripartite MOU. Having participated in demonstration programs supervised by South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute to validate initial commercial K-UAM service models — where we validated operational procedures as a single integrated provider across flight operations, traffic management and vertiport handling — Verty will apply this proven expertise to ensure safe flight trials and commercial success in Goyang.”
Tomohiro Fukuzawa, founder and CEO of SkyDrive Inc.
“Following our initial partnership with Verty, we are deeply honored to enter into this tripartite agreement with Goyang Special City, a vital center for advanced air mobility in South Korea. As the designated metropolitan demonstration hub for the K-UAM Grand Challenge, Goyang is an exceptional partner actively advancing vertiport development and institutional collaboration. By combining SkyDrive’s aircraft manufacturing capabilities with Verty’s comprehensive operational integration and Goyang’s forward-looking civic leadership, we will work in close coordination to conduct flight trials, cultivate public acceptance and prepare the ecosystem for commercial operations by 2028.”
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 SKYDRIVE, the company's first commercial 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 U.S. 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) Related Press Releases:
SkyDrive Starts Summer Demonstration Flights at Expo 2025 in Osaka: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/news/16094/
(*3) Related Press Release:
SkyDrive Agrees with JCAB on Project Plan for Type Certification: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/news/17834/
(*4) Related Press Release:
SkyDrive Unveils Aircraft Design Concept: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/news/72988/
(*5) Related Press Release:
SkyDrive Signs MOU with Verty to Target Commercial eVTOL Operations in South Korea by 2028:
https://skydrive.co.jp/en/news/72971/
SkyDrive and Verty co-hosted an exhibition booth featuring a scale model of the SKYDRIVE aircraft at DRONE-UAM EXPO 2026 held at KINTEX in Goyang, South Korea.
From left: Dong-Woo Kim, CEO of Verty Co. Ltd. ; Min Kyeong-seon, mayor of Goyang Special City ; and Tomohiro Fukuzawa, founder and CEO of SkyDrive, at the MOU signing ceremony held during DRONE-UAM EXPO 2026 at KINTEX in Goyang, South Korea, on Nov. 4, 2026.
