Tohoku Air Service Co., Ltd. (Tohoku Electric Power Group's Helicopter Operating Company) Signs LOI for Flying Car Aircraft Purchase with SkyDrive

SkyDrive Inc. (Headquarters: Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture; CEO: Tomohiro Fukuzawa; hereinafter 'SkyDrive'), which develops, manufactures, and sells 'flying cars' (Note 1), announced today that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the purchase of an aircraft with Tohoku Air Service Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Iwanuma City, Miyagi Prefecture; President: Shigeaki Ouchi; hereinafter 'Tohoku Air Service'), a helicopter operating company of the Tohoku Electric Power Group. This agreement establishes the basic condition for the purchase of one 'SKYDRIVE (SkyDrive SD-05 type)' aircraft, with the goal of delivery in 2028.

Tohoku Air Service decided to enter this agreement with the aim of contributing to a safe, secure, and comfortable lifestyle by utilizing the benefits of 'flying cars' such as quietness, ease of use, and low introduction and maintenance costs. This includes applications from entertainment purposes such as sightseeing tours, to convenient means of transporting people and goods, and further to applications in medical and disaster prevention.

This marks the first case of SkyDrive and a Japanese helicopter operating company signing an agreement for aircraft purchase.

Left: Shigeaki Ouchi, President, Tohoku Air Service Co., Ltd. Right: Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO, SkyDrive Inc.

Background of this Agreement and Future Initiatives

SkyDrive's mission is to 'lead the mobility revolution once in a century,' and it is developing flying cars to realize a future where the sky is utilized as an everyday means of transportation. Following successful demo flights over approximately one and a half months at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo and in urban Osaka, and in Tokyo in February 2026 (Note 2), the company is now undertaking activities with a view to commercialization in 2028 as its next major milestone.

Tohoku Air Service, established in 1991 as part of the Tohoku Electric Power Group, has supported the stable supply of electricity and the maintenance and development of social infrastructure for over 30 years. Its core business has been helicopter-based inspection of power transmission lines and transportation of materials to locations difficult to access from the ground, such as mountainous areas. Leveraging over 38 years of experience and know-how in power transmission line inspection inherited from Tohoku Electric Power, the company is committed to safety first and supports the development of the entire Tohoku region.

Tohoku Air Service has decided to expand its long-cultivated aviation operational expertise into 'flying cars' with the aim of building sustainable transportation systems in local cities and promoting new regional revitalization through next-generation air mobility.

Through this agreement, Tohoku Air Service will conduct detailed verification of aircraft performance, safety, and infrastructure requirements, as well as multifaceted validation of operational feasibility in actual use. It also aims to realize a 'multi-use' operational model that flexibly responds to diverse regional needs, in collaboration with other companies seeking to introduce 'flying cars.'

Representative Comments

Shigeaki Ouchi, President, Tohoku Air Service Co., Ltd.

Through the signing of this memorandum of understanding for the purchase of the 'SKYDRIVE (SkyDrive SD-05 type)' flying car developed by SkyDrive Inc., we will proceed with concrete studies for the social implementation of next-generation air mobility. Going forward, we will confirm the details of aircraft performance, safety, operating conditions, and infrastructure requirements, and conduct multifaceted verification of operational feasibility in actual use. Furthermore, through collaboration with SkyDrive Inc., the only eVTOL development company in Japan, we intend to contribute to aircraft development by providing insights from the perspective of an operating company. We also aim to develop a 'multi-use' operational model that responds to diverse needs such as tourism, regional transportation, medical, and disaster response, with the goal of creating safe, secure, and comfortable communities that contribute to the revitalization of the Tohoku region and Niigata Prefecture using eVTOLs.

Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO, SkyDrive Inc.

We are delighted to have signed this Letter of Intent (LOI) for aircraft purchase with Tohoku Air Service Co., Ltd. Under our mission of 'leading the mobility revolution once in a century,' we have been engaged in the development and social implementation of flying cars. Through demo flights at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, Osaka Port, and in Tokyo, we have steadily accumulated technology and operational possibilities, and are now in a crucial phase towards service launch in 2028. In this context, collaborating with Tohoku Air Service Co., Ltd., which has supported the social infrastructure of the Tohoku region for over 30 years, holds immense significance for rooting air mobility in the region. We will leverage the signing of this LOI to realize a 'multi-use' operational model responsive to diverse uses such as tourism, regional transportation, and disaster response, starting from Tohoku, and jointly contribute to building a sustainable regional ecosystem. We will continue our efforts to further expand the possibilities of the region by making air mobility a new value for the region and creating flows of people and industries.