SkyDrive and NEXCO West Sign Partnership Agreement for Flying Car Business at Highway Service Areas
SkyDrive Inc. and West Nippon Expressway Company Limited (NEXCO West) have entered into a partnership to study the feasibility of using highway service areas (SA) and parking areas (PA) as hubs for 'flying car' (eVTOL) services, targeting commercialization in 2028.
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- 📰 Published: April 25, 2026 at 02:06
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 17:31
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SkyDrive Inc. (Toyota City, Aichi; CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa) and West Nippon Expressway Company Limited (Kita-ku, Osaka; CEO Yoshiharu Shibamura) have signed a partnership agreement to examine the business potential of utilizing highway service and parking areas (SA/PA) for flying cars.
1. Background
SkyDrive aims to lead a 'once-in-a-century mobility revolution' and is developing flying cars for a future where the sky is a daily means of transport. Following successful demo flights planned for the 2025 Osaka/Kansai Expo and Tokyo in February 2026, the company is targeting commercialization in 2028. NEXCO West, under its 'MOVE! 2030' vision, is actively challenging new business fields to solve social issues and develop regional communities. SkyDrive focused on SA/PAs, located every 10–30 km along highways, as ideal vertiport locations to create new value through next-gen mobility while contributing to regional growth. NEXCO West decided to proceed with this partnership as it aligns with its management policies and the 'Expo Legacy' initiative promoted by the Kansai Economic Federation.
2. Objectives and Scope of Partnership
The partnership will study the feasibility of introducing flying cars at SA/PAs managed by NEXCO West.
(1) Creation of New Value and Regional Contribution: Transforming SA/PAs into destinations where users can experience new values like sightseeing flights, eventually serving as nodes for regional development.
(2) Enhancement of Disaster Prevention Functions: Expected to play a role in disaster management, such as assessing damage and planning recovery measures during emergencies.
3. Future Plans
SkyDrive and NEXCO West will jointly study utilization methods and candidate areas to realize the social implementation of flying cars, value creation at SA/PAs, and strengthened disaster response capabilities.
4. CEO Comments
Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO of SkyDrive: 'We are honored to partner with NEXCO West, a cornerstone of logistics and passenger flow in Western Japan. This collaboration merges road networks with the mobility of the sky. SA/PAs will evolve from mere transit points into destinations for moving aerial experiences, enhancing tourism and disaster infrastructure.'
Yoshiharu Shibamura, CEO of NEXCO West: 'SkyDrive is a leading company in the social implementation of flying cars in Japan. We are proud to sign this agreement to explore how SA/PAs can go beyond being resting facilities to offer new values like sightseeing flights.'
1. Background
SkyDrive aims to lead a 'once-in-a-century mobility revolution' and is developing flying cars for a future where the sky is a daily means of transport. Following successful demo flights planned for the 2025 Osaka/Kansai Expo and Tokyo in February 2026, the company is targeting commercialization in 2028. NEXCO West, under its 'MOVE! 2030' vision, is actively challenging new business fields to solve social issues and develop regional communities. SkyDrive focused on SA/PAs, located every 10–30 km along highways, as ideal vertiport locations to create new value through next-gen mobility while contributing to regional growth. NEXCO West decided to proceed with this partnership as it aligns with its management policies and the 'Expo Legacy' initiative promoted by the Kansai Economic Federation.
2. Objectives and Scope of Partnership
The partnership will study the feasibility of introducing flying cars at SA/PAs managed by NEXCO West.
(1) Creation of New Value and Regional Contribution: Transforming SA/PAs into destinations where users can experience new values like sightseeing flights, eventually serving as nodes for regional development.
(2) Enhancement of Disaster Prevention Functions: Expected to play a role in disaster management, such as assessing damage and planning recovery measures during emergencies.
3. Future Plans
SkyDrive and NEXCO West will jointly study utilization methods and candidate areas to realize the social implementation of flying cars, value creation at SA/PAs, and strengthened disaster response capabilities.
4. CEO Comments
Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO of SkyDrive: 'We are honored to partner with NEXCO West, a cornerstone of logistics and passenger flow in Western Japan. This collaboration merges road networks with the mobility of the sky. SA/PAs will evolve from mere transit points into destinations for moving aerial experiences, enhancing tourism and disaster infrastructure.'
Yoshiharu Shibamura, CEO of NEXCO West: 'SkyDrive is a leading company in the social implementation of flying cars in Japan. We are proud to sign this agreement to explore how SA/PAs can go beyond being resting facilities to offer new values like sightseeing flights.'