Regulations and Government
Japan's SkyDrive Begins FAA Type Certification for eVTOL Aircraft
The three-seat vehicle is expected to achieve Japanese type certification in 2026
SkyDrive begins FAA type certification for SD-05 eVTOL aircraft
Left to right: Nobuo Kishi, SkyDrive’s chief technology officer; CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa; and chief development officer Arnaud Coville announced the start of their FAA type certification process.

Japanese eVTOL aircraft developer SkyDrive has launched efforts to offer its SD-05 three-seat vehicle in the U.S. market, having recently started the FAA certification process. On June 17, the company reported that the U.S. aviation safety agency accepted its application for a type certificate on April 29 in a process initiated through Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB).

SkyDrive aims to secure U.S. approval via the FAA’s validation of the Japanese type certificate it aims to achieve in 2026. The company, which is based in Toyota in Aichi Prefecture, started manufacturing the first examples of the SD-05 aircraft in March using a factory operated by its production partner Suzuki Motor Company. The companies said the Iwata City site will be able to produce 100 vehicles per year.

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