SkyDrive and Osaka Metro Unveil Plans for a Future eVTOL Network in Osaka Introducing Plans for the "Osaka Diamond Routes"

OSAKA, Japan & TOYOTA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 17, 2024--

SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading eVTOL (*1) aircraft manufacturer based in Japan, and Osaka Metro Co., Ltd. (“Osaka Metro”) today announced plans for the "Osaka Diamond Routes" at the "Osaka Roundtable" (*2). These proposed eVTOL routes connect four key destinations in Osaka: Shin-Osaka/Umeda, Morinomiya, Tennoji/Abeno, and the Osaka Bay Area. Market research has already identified these areas as critical hubs for the city’s future mobility network. SkyDrive and Osaka Metro plan to launch services in the Morinomiya area by around 2028, before working to gradually expand operations through 2030 and beyond.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241218496467/en/

Concept Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dD8PA1NISg

Background

SkyDrive is developing a lightweight, three-seater eVTOL aircraft that will play a key future role in the coming urban transport revolution. As eVTOL flights become a regular part of city life, SkyDrive seeks to lead this market transformation.

Osaka Metro operates eight subway lines and the New Tram, an automated, driverless tram system. Each day, approximately 2.4 million passengers rely on the Osaka Metro rapid transit network. The company is also advancing an urban Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) initiative called "e METRO," which integrates multiple modes of transportation—including subways, buses, and taxis—to make Osaka a more convenient and connected city.

In August 2024, SkyDrive and Osaka Metro signed an agreement (*3) to jointly explore the commercialization of eVTOL services in Osaka in the years following the Osaka World Expo 2025. To pursue this goal, Osaka Metro established an "eVTOL Promotion Office" under the direct supervision of its president in October 2024. The two companies have worked together to assess market demand, potential takeoff and landing locations, and other factors affecting the commercial feasibility of an eVTOL business. These efforts culminated in today’s unveiling of the planned “Osaka Diamond Routes”, which form a core part of the initial concept for future eVTOL operations.

Delivering New Value in Airborne Sightseeing and Travel

The proposed areas have been strategically selected to highlight Osaka’s breathtaking cityscapes and offer convenient access to major tourist attractions. SkyDrive’s eVTOL will transform intra-urban journeys into exciting and memorable experiences, giving passengers the opportunity to enjoy the city’s stunning aerial views while flying in privacy and comfort.

Next Steps

SkyDrive and Osaka Metro will continue to collaborate closely with the government, Osaka Prefecture and the Osaka City authorities, as well as other relevant organizations and business partners, to bring these commercial services to market. Key areas of focus include finalizing vertiport locations and completing the further studies required to establish flight routes. SkyDrive and Osaka Metro also plan to roll out a phased expansion of these services, first into the surrounding suburbs, and then into the greater Kansai region. Together, the two companies seek to unlock the potential of air mobility and provide passengers with added value through new air transport services, developing an upgraded transport infrastructure that will enhance Osaka's reputation as a leading city for innovation and tourism.

About SkyDrive Inc.

SkyDrive is an eVTOL company aiming “to take the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution”. The company began testing eVTOL prototypes in 2014 prior to official incorporation in 2018. Under its future vision for urban transportation, flying in eVTOLs will become a regular part of city life. In 2019, SkyDrive became the first company to fly a crewed eVTOL in Japan. As of 2024, SkyDrive is working with civil aviation authorities in Japan and the US to acquire certification for “SKYDRIVE”, the company’s latest eVTOL product. In April 2025, SKYDRIVE will fly at Expo 2025 in Osaka, a major international event. SkyDrive began production of “SKYDRIVE” in March 2024 at a plant owned by Suzuki Motor Corporation, SkyDrive's official production partner. SkyDrive is headquartered in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, and led by CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa, an engineer and entrepreneur.
For more information, please visit: https://en.skydrive2020.com/

About Osaka Metro Co., Ltd.

Osaka Metro is the direct legal successor to the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau, which operated the subway as the Osaka Municipal Subway. Osaka Metro plays a crucial role in the lives of Osaka residents and visitors alike, operating a 137.8 kilometer-long network of nine subway lines carrying passengers across central Osaka. In addition to its core social mission of providing safe, secure, and comfortable transport infrastructure that serves the community, the company is also conscious of the subway’s role in boosting the city’s energy and vitality, helping a diverse range of people to travel smoothly, meet easily, and create new value together. By further expanding and improving its services, Osaka Metro is committed to supporting the ongoing development of Osaka as a truly international city.
For more information, please visit: https://www.osakametro.co.jp/en/

Editor’s Note:
(*1) “eVTOL” is an abbreviation for electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing. As the name suggests, eVTOL aircraft can take off and land without a runway. eVTOLs are powered by electricity and incorporate advanced, automatic, flight control technology.

(*2) “Osaka Roundtable” is a key initiative in Japan aimed at advancing the development of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and urban air mobility (UAM) technologies. It brings together stakeholders, including companies, regulators, and researchers, to collaborate on integrating air mobility into urban environments. This initiative aligns with Osaka's vision of creating an ecosystem that harnesses electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles and related technologies to transform transportation.
Reference: https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/documents/8418/roadmap20and20the20action20plan.pdf

(*3) Related press release: https://en.skydrive2020.com/archives/13429

SkyDrive and Osaka Metro plans for the “Osaka Diamond Routes” (Graphic: Business Wire)

BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike last year while inside the militant group's war operations room, according to new details Sunday disclosed by a senior Hezbollah official.

A series of Israeli airstrikes flattened several buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sept. 27, 2024, killing Nasrallah. The Lebanese Health Ministry said six people died. According to news reports, Nasrallah and other senior officials were meeting underground.

The assassination of Nasrallah, who had led Hezbollah for 32 years, turned months of low-level strikes between Israel and the militants into all-out war that battered much of southern and eastern Lebanon for two months until a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect Nov. 27.

“His Eminence (Hassan Nasrallah) used to lead the battle and war from this location,” top Hezbollah security official Wafiq Safa told a news conference Sunday near near the site where Nasrallah was killed. He said Nasrallah died in the war operations room. He did not offer other details.

Lebanese media had reported that Safa was a target of Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut before the ceasefire but appeared unscathed.

During the first phase of the ceasefire, Hezbollah is supposed to move its fighters, weapons and infrastructure away from southern Lebanon north of the Litani River, while Israeli troops that invaded southern Lebanon need to withdraw all within 60 days. Lebanese army soldiers are to deploy in large numbers and alongside United Nations peacekeepers be the sole armed presence in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon and Hezbollah have been critical of ongoing Israeli strikes and overflights across the country and for only withdrawing from two of dozens of Lebanese villages it controls. Israel says that the Lebanese military has not done its share in dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure.

Hezbollah’s current leader Naim Kassem in a televised address Saturday warned that its fighters could strike Israel if its troops don’t leave the south by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz echoed similar sentiments should Hezbollah's militants not head north of the Litani River and their infrastructure remain intact.

“If this condition is not met, there will be no agreement, and Israel will be forced to act on its own to ensure the safe return of the residents of (Israel’s) north to their homes,” he said.

Safa said that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who negotiated the ceasefire deal with Washington, told Hezbollah that the government will meet with U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein soon. “And in light of what happens, then there will be a position,” said Safa.

Hochstein had led the shuttle diplomacy efforts to reach the fragile truce.

A woman holds up a poster of the slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during a ceremony marking death anniversary of the late commander of the Iran's Revolutionary Guard expeditionary Quds Force, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in 2020, at the Imam Khomeini grand mosque in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)