SkyDrive Launches Public-Private Initiative with Government and Industry for Commercial Operations in Indonesia

SkyDrive Inc. (Headquarters: Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, CEO: Tomohiro Fukuzawa, hereinafter "SkyDrive"), a company developing, manufacturing, and selling compact "flying cars" (※1), jointly held a two-day event on June 23–24, 2026, at the Cengkareng Heliport—owned by PT Whitesky Aviation (hereinafter "Whitesky"), Indonesia’s largest helicopter operator providing sightseeing, cargo transport, and medical evacuation services. The event, held adjacent to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, targeted government officials and stakeholders from mining and plantation sectors to confirm market demand.

Indonesia faces severe social challenges in both urban and rural areas, including annual economic losses of approximately 65 trillion rupiah due to traffic congestion in the Jakarta metropolitan area (※2), underdeveloped infrastructure in mining— one of the country’s key industries, accounting for about 10% of total Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) across provinces (※3)—and logistical and disaster response delays in vast plantation zones exceeding 15 million hectares (※4).

At this event, SkyDrive exhibited the full-scale mockup of its "SKYDRIVE (SkyDrive SD-05 model)" overseas for the first time, engaging in discussions and proposing concrete use cases for flying cars to address Indonesia-specific social issues.

On June 24, 2026, Muhammad Neil El Himam, Deputy Minister for Digital Creation and Technology at Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, stood alongside Indonesian government and industry representatives and SkyDrive team members in front of the life-size mockup during its first overseas exhibition.

Inside the Cengkareng Heliport showroom, the flying car was displayed next to a helicopter.

Background and Progress to Date

SkyDrive and Whitesky signed a business collaboration agreement in August 2025 (※5) to promote the social implementation of flying cars in Indonesia, and have since jointly advanced ongoing discussions and business planning.

Initially, both companies began exploring solutions to Jakarta’s severe and chronic traffic congestion. Improving rapid access between the airport and the city center was a critical priority, leading to early and focused discussions on establishing an "urban air taxi route" connecting Cengkareng Heliport—adjacent to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport—with central Jakarta.

Building on these urban congestion solutions, the two companies expanded their discussions to address unique challenges in Indonesia’s key regional industrial zones—such as mines and plantations—that support sustainable national growth.

Resource extraction sites (e.g., in Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Sumatra) suffer from underdeveloped road infrastructure, poor road conditions, reduced mobility efficiency, and inadequate emergency transport systems for the frequent workplace accidents and natural disasters occurring weekly.

In agriculture, large-scale plantations such as palm oil estates cover vast areas, where conventional drones face limitations in long-range surveillance for early fire detection and patrol operations.

Discussions that began with urban air taxis led both companies to conclude that flying cars could serve as effective solutions for regional industrial challenges, simultaneously reducing operational costs and environmental impact. This insight has led to the formal launch of this event and the dedicated development of specific rural use cases.

Anticipated Use Cases

Through prior discussions, in addition to the initially envisioned urban air taxis, the introduction of flying cars is now being considered for the following areas and applications in key regional industries:

1. Urban Air Taxi (Jakarta Metropolitan Area)

Rapid passenger transport from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to central Jakarta and surrounding smart cities, bypassing severe traffic congestion.

2. Mining and Extraction Zones (Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Sumatra, etc.)

Utilization for "shuttle operations" transporting workers and engineers in areas where road travel by car or bus is time-consuming due to poor conditions, and for "emergency medical evacuation by doctors" (equivalent to air ambulance services) in response to weekly workplace accidents or natural disasters.

3. Large Plantation Areas (palm oil, pulp, sugar, etc.)

Application for "site monitoring (patrols and inspections)" by landowners or management companies, and for "early forest fire detection and initial firefighting control" during the dry season, in vast areas where drone range is limited.

Currently, helicopters are partially used as transport in these areas. Replacing them with flying cars is expected to reduce operational costs and address emissions and noise pollution.

Event Overview

● Duration: June 23 (Tue) – 24 (Wed), 2026

● Location: Cengkareng Heliport, Indonesia

● Key Attendees:

・ Indonesian government officials (ministries equivalent to Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)

・ Major mining development companies

・ Leading agricultural and plantation stakeholders

・ Aviation industry representatives

At the event, top-level government and private-sector leaders experienced the actual size and cabin comfort of the full-scale mockup of the "SKYDRIVE (SkyDrive SD-05 model)"—its first overseas exhibition—and engaged in active discussions on potential deployment in both urban and rural areas of Indonesia. Attendees commented: "Suitable for diverse business cases unique to Indonesia, such as shuttle operations in mines and wide-area monitoring in plantations, as well as urban congestion relief," and "The economic efficiency as a new alternative to helicopters, along with the potential for cutting-edge technology to create new industries, is highly appealing."

On-site exhibition: Inspection by Sokhib Al Rokhman, Director General of Airworthiness and Operations, Indonesian Ministry of Transportation

Viewing and ride experience demonstration

SkyDrive team explaining the flying car (left)

Comments

Muhammad Neil El Himam, Deputy Minister for Digital Creation and Technology, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Indonesia

"The flying car technology developed by SkyDrive is a 'new face' that will bring innovation to our creative economy. We believe the adoption of their advanced technology will generate significant economic value—not only advancing mobility but also creating new intellectual property and specialized jobs. For Indonesia to become a nation capable of developing and managing new technologies independently, it is essential that global companies like SkyDrive collaborate with local partners to build a 'complete ecosystem' through industry-academia-government cooperation. We welcome SkyDrive’s efforts to advance the future of mobility and will strongly support them."

Sokhib Al Rokhman, S.SiT., Director General of Airworthiness and Operations, Indonesian Ministry of Transportation