Significant Progress in Type Certification Activities in the United States

SkyDrive Inc., a company engaged in the development, manufacturing, and sales of compact 'flying cars' (Note 1), headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and led by CEO Takahiro Fukuzawa (hereinafter 'SkyDrive'), announces the initiation of an official 'Familiarization Meeting' with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Civil Aviation Bureau (hereinafter 'JCAB').

The purpose of the Familiarization Meeting is to deepen the FAA's understanding of the aircraft's performance and adopted technologies, representing a critical step in the process toward obtaining type certification. During these sessions, extensive and detailed technical evaluations are expected, conducted jointly with JCAB, covering everything from the vehicle's design concept to specific approaches ensuring compliance with FAA safety standards.

Prior to this, SkyDrive's technical leadership team held discussions with senior officials from both JCAB and the FAA in Washington, D.C., during the '2026 FAA-EASA International Aviation Safety Conference,' a gathering of key aviation industry leaders and regulators. On the FAA side, participants included Marolly Nail, Deputy Executive Director for Aircraft Certification Services; Dan Elgas, Director of Policy and Innovation; Steven Berk, Director of the International Division; John Yu, Manager of the International Validation Branch; and Adrian Hofer from the International Division. On the JCAB side, attendees included Tetsu Shimizu, Chief of the Aircraft Safety Division; Naoki Amiya, Director of the Unmanned Aircraft Planning Office; Hidenori Miyashima, Safety Policy Division; and Kotaro Yamamoto, Researcher at the Washington International Affairs Research Institute of the Japan International Transport Institute (JITTI).

During this bilateral Japan-U.S. meeting, active discussions were held regarding inter-agency collaboration to realize an efficient 'Concurrent Validation Process' in anticipation of SkyDrive's global commercialization.

Photo (left to right): JITTI's Kotaro Yamamoto, JCAB's Hidenori Miyashima, Naoki Amiya, Tetsu Shimizu, SkyDrive's Nagler, Coville, FAA's Nail, Elgas, Park, Yu, Hofer

SkyDrive is applying for type certification in two countries: Japan and the United States. The company submitted its application to the FAA in April 2024 and has received confirmation of acceptance (Note 2). Moving forward, SkyDrive will continue to work closely with aviation authorities both domestically and internationally, striving to prioritize safety in aircraft development and achieve early type certification.

Note 1: 'Flying car' refers to next-generation aerial mobility solutions that are accessible and sustainable, enabled by aviation technologies such as electrification and automation, as well as operational methods like vertical takeoff and landing. In other countries, this 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

Note 2: Related press release: https://skydrive.co.jp/archives/44159