Aircraft
U.S. Charter Operator Orders SkyDrive's eVTOL Air Taxi
South Carolina-based Austin Aviation has committed to buying five of the three-seat eVTOL from Japan's SkyDrive, which also logged new sales in Vietnam.
SkyDrive's three-seat eVTOL aircraft.
SkyDrive's three-seat eVTOL aircraft are set to be operated for air taxi flights by U.S. charter firms like Austin Aviation. (Photo: SkyDrive)

U.S. Part 135 charter operator Austin Aviation is planning to introduce SkyDrive’s three-seat eVTOL to its fleet. On Thursday, the Walterboro, South Carolina-based company signed a letter of intent with the Japanese manufacturer covering provisional pre-orders for five of the aircraft, which is expected to enter service in 2026.

The three-seat eVTOL air taxi was unveiled by SkyDrive at the Paris Air Show in June as a larger version of the original two-seat SD-05 model. The all-electric vehicle will have a range of just nine miles and is intended for short hops, such as trips to and from airports.

In this article