SkyDrive Inc., a leading Japanese eVTOL aircraft manufacturer, has announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Tohoku Air Service (TAS), a helicopter operator owned by Tohoku Electric Power Company, for the purchase of one SkyDrive eVTOL (SKYDRIVE, SkyDrive Model SD-05). Under the agreement, SkyDrive aims to deliver the aircraft in 2028.
Tohoku Air Service hopes to leverage the numerous advantages offered by eVTOL aircraft, including quiet operation, lower purchase and maintenance costs, and a wide range of potential applications. These include sightseeing flights, efficient passenger and cargo transportation, medical services, and natural disaster response. TAS has entered into this agreement in recognition of eVTOL’s potential to improve quality of life through safety, reliability, and comfort. This LOI marks SkyDrive’s first agreement for the purchase of an aircraft by a Japan-based helicopter operator.
Background and Plans for Ongoing Collaboration
SkyDrive is developing eVTOLs with the mission of “leading a once-in-a-century mobility revolution,” aiming to make simple and convenient air travel a regular part of city life. During 2025, SkyDrive successfully conducted demonstration flights of the SKYDRIVE (Model SD-05) at Expo 2025 Osaka and at a second vertiport within Osaka. Following further demonstration flights in Tokyo during February 2026, the company is now working toward its next major milestone: commercial operations in 2028.
Tohoku Air Service was established as a helicopter operator in 1991 as a member of the Tohoku Electric Power Company group. Leveraging the parent company’s 38 years of power line inspection experience, TAS has for over 30 years supported electricity infrastructure maintenance and development through airborne power line inspections and cargo transport to mountainous and remote areas. With a strong emphasis on safety, TAS’s work supports the development of the entire Tohoku region.
Through this agreement with SkyDrive, TAS will apply its decades of helicopter operational experience to eVTOL operations, aiming to build sustainable transport systems for regional cities and contribute to regional economic growth through next-generation mobility technology. TAS will thoroughly examine functionality, safety, infrastructure requirements, and operational feasibility, working with SkyDrive to establish a multi-use operational model that responds flexibly to diverse market needs.
Comment from Shigeyuki Ouchi, President of Tohoku Air Service:
“Signing this Letter of Intent with SkyDrive allows us to advance concrete investigations into the real-world operation of this next-generation technology. Working together with SkyDrive, the only company in Japan developing an eVTOL, allows us to feed our operational knowledge into the aircraft’s development. We plan to develop a multi-use operating model serving the Tohoku Region and Niigata Prefecture through tourism services, regional transport routes, medical services, and post-disaster relief — contributing to the regional economy and creating a safe, secure urban environment.”
Comment from Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO of SkyDrive:
“I am delighted that Tohoku Air Service has signed this Letter of Intent with SkyDrive. Through demonstration flights at the Osaka Expo, Osakako Port, and Tokyo Bay, we have steadily validated our aircraft’s technical capabilities. This agreement with TAS, a company with over three decades of air transport experience in Tohoku, is a significant step. It will contribute to establishing a sustainable transport ecosystem based on multifunctional eVTOL operations in Tohoku, covering sightseeing, regional transportation, and post-disaster relief. Together, we will deliver new value to regional communities through air mobility, creating new opportunities for people and industry.”
