Charter & Fractional
Railway Companies Back SkyDrive’s Plans for eVTOL Air Taxis
Flight networks could connect train stations with other parts of Japanese cities
SkyDrive SD-05 eVTOL aircraft in Japan
SkyDrive’s SD-05 eVTOL aircraft could provide connections to train stations in Japanese cities.

A pair of railway companies and Suzuki Motor Corporation have backed a pre-Series D funding round that raised a further ¥8.3 billion ($57 million) for Japanese eVTOL aircraft manufacturer SkyDrive. The company announced the boost to its capital reserves on July 4, confirming that it has now raised a total of ¥43 billion to support work to bring the three-seat SD-05 vehicle to market.

Support from the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) is significant because SkyDrive is eager to integrate eVTOL air taxi services with rail connections. It has previously presented plans to develop vertiports at train stations in several Japanese cities.

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