Aircraft
Japan’s Oita Prefecture Plans Integrated eVTOL and Rail Services
Oita's local government partners with SkyDrive and Kyushu Railway Company
A map comparing travel times between Beppu and Yufiun via eVTOL, road, and rail
Flying from Beppu to Yufuin in SkyDrive's eVTOL aircraft would take about 15 minutes, whereas it takes 40 minutes by road or an hour by rail.

Japan’s Oita prefecture plans to upgrade its transportation infrastructure through a new partnership with eVTOL aircraft developer SkyDrive and the Kyushu Railway Company.

Under the partnership agreement, announced on February 6, SkyDrive’s three-seat eVTOL aircraft could begin operating commercial air taxi flights in and around the Beppu Bay area as early as 2028, with additional routes launching throughout the prefecture after 2030. 

In this article