SkyDrive Conducts Demonstration Flight for Inland Sea Sightseeing with Flying Car

SkyDrive Inc. (Headquarters: Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture; CEO: Tomoaki Fukuzawa, hereinafter 'SkyDrive'), a company engaged in the development, manufacturing, and sales of compact 'flying cars' (※1), announces the successful demonstration flight of its flying car 'SKYDRIVE (SkyDrive SD-05 model)' on July 13, 2026 (Monday) at the flight test site within Yamaguchi Kirara Expo Memorial Park, simulating sightseeing tours over the Seto Inland Sea.

The event was attended by Yamaguchi Prefecture Governor Tsugumasa Muraoka, Vice Speaker of the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly Toru Kono, and Suzuki Motor Corporation President Takaaki Suzuki, who observed the technological maturity and potential use cases for tourist sightseeing flights through high-speed flight over the Seto Inland Sea.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/KDvE4AbiQ0E

From left: Suzuki Motor Corporation President Takaaki Suzuki, SkyDrive CEO Tomoaki Fukuzawa, Yamaguchi Prefecture Governor Tsugumasa Muraoka, and Vice Speaker Toru Kono

Features of the Demonstration Flight Today’s demonstration flight verified processes tailored to tourism use cases in regional and tourist areas. Attendees observed a seamless passenger flow where users arrive at the vertiport by car and then seamlessly transfer to the flying car.

＜First Flight＞

Date and Time: Around 8:00 AM, Monday, July 13, 2026

Operation Mode: Autonomous control and remote piloting without onboard pilot Flight Performance: · Flight Distance: 2,000m (round trip) · Flight Time: 6 minutes 20 seconds · Max Speed: 86 km/h · Max Altitude: 30m

＜Second Flight＞

Date and Time: Around 11:05 AM, Monday, July 13, 2026

Operation Mode: Autonomous control and remote piloting without onboard pilot Flight Performance: · Flight Distance: 1,900m (round trip) · Flight Time: 5 minutes 42 seconds · Max Speed: 85 km/h · Max Altitude: 25m

Background and Purpose SkyDrive aims to realize a future where air mobility is integrated into daily life, driven by its mission to 'lead the once-in-a-century mobility revolution.' The company is advancing the development of compact flying cars. To date, SkyDrive has conducted over 300 cumulative flights in various environments, including test sites in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, and Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, as well as at the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai site, Osaka Port, and Tokyo Big Sight in February 2026 (※2).

Flying cars are expected to serve various use cases, including urban traffic congestion relief, disaster response for cargo transport and rescue, and new tourism experiences contributing to regional revitalization. This demonstration flight offered an opportunity to experience a new form of tourism—arriving at the port by car and seamlessly boarding a flying car to enjoy scenic views from the sky.

Seamless transfer from car to flying car

Video URL: https://youtu.be/H0Z5yxUGgcU

Comments Tomoaki Fukuzawa, CEO, SkyDrive Inc. Following demonstrations at Expo 2025, Osaka Port, and Tokyo, I deeply appreciate the strong support from Governor Muraoka, Vice Speaker Kono, and Suzuki President Suzuki, who witnessed our successful demonstration flight here in Yamaguchi. Today’s flight showcased a practical flow for one of the key use cases we prioritize for commercialization by 2028—'utilizing flying cars in tourism.' By demonstrating a concrete passenger flow enabling seamless transfer from car to flying car without waiting time, we have proven that next-generation mobility for regional and tourist areas is now within reach. Building on today’s demonstrated value in tourism, we will continue to advance aircraft development and manufacturing with safety as our top priority, aiming to build sustainable living infrastructure that addresses various regional challenges, including revitalization, disaster response, and healthcare.

※1 Definition of 'flying car': A next-generation, accessible, and sustainable aerial transportation method enabled by aviation technologies such as electrification and automation, and operational modes like vertical takeoff and landing. In other countries, it is known as Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) or Urban Air Mobility (UAM).

Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (March, Reiwa 8) https://www.mlit.go.jp/koku/content/001994084.pdf

※2 Related Press Releases: Demonstration Flight Conducted at Sea with Attendance by Governor Yoshimura, JAXA, and Kansai Electric Power (August 18, 2025) https://skydrive.co.jp/archives/65240 SkyDrive Achieves First Flying Car Demonstration Flight in Tokyo (February 24, 2026) https://skydrive.co.jp/archives/68940 Tokyo Metropolitan Government Project: First Domestic Flight Demonstration Simulating Practical Use of Flying Cars (March 3, 2026) https://skydrive.co.jp/archives/69096

≪Overview of SkyDrive Inc.≫

Established

July 2018

Representative

CEO Tomoaki Fukuzawa

URL

https://skydrive.co.jp/

Headquarters and Facilities

Toyota Headquarters: 2-1-1 Komeno-cho, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture

Toyota Development Center: 20-2 Nakanakayama-yamano-da, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture

Toyota Test Field: Ashigara District, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture

Nagoya Airport Office: 2F, Prefectural Nagoya Airport, Toyoda, Nishikasugai District, Aichi Prefecture

Tokyo Office: 3F, Hirakata Front Building, 1-3-13 Hirakata-cho, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo

Osaka Office: 8F, Osaka Ekimae Daiichi Building, 1-3-1-800 Umeda, Kita Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture

Yamaguchi Test Field: Aza, Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture

Subsidiaries

Sky Works Inc.: Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture

SkyDrive America, Inc.: Beaufort, South Carolina 29902, U.S.A.

AlterSky Inc.: Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture

Business Activities

Founded in July 2018 with the mission to 'lead the once-in-a-century mobility revolution' and realize a future where air is utilized for daily mobility. Based primarily in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, the company develops compact 'flying cars' and has begun manufacturing at a Suzuki Group factory in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture. As a member of public-private councils, it participates in regulatory design, achieved Japan’s first public manned flight test in 2020, and conducted demonstration flights at Expo 2025 Osaka. The company continues to advance aircraft development toward service launch in 2028.