The company that hopes to bring air taxis to Augusta Regional Airport has announced the completion of a vital step in the authorization necessary to build the aircraft. (Photo above courtesy of SkyDrive)
SkyDrive, a Tokyo-based Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company, has submitted the type certificate (TC) application of its three-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) “SKYDRIVE” to the Federal Aviation Commission (FAA) through Japan’s Civil Aviation Administration. A TC signifies the airworthiness of the design of the aircraft to be manufactured. The application was accepted in late April.
In a news release announcing the application has been accepted, Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO of SkyDrive, said, “Our development team has been working on both aircraft development and type certification activities in parallel. We are very grateful to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau for supporting our application and looking forward to a successful FAA-type certification.”
The news release said the company is collaborating with local customers to develop practical uses for its product. One of those collaborations is in Augusta.
A partnership between SkyDrive and Bravo Air, the private air charter operator based at Augusta Regional, was announced in March. Bravo Air signed a letter of intent to purchase up to five of the aircraft.
“Stephanie Henson (Bravo Air Managing Partner) and I recently visited SkyDrive’s team in Japan to better foster the growth of our business partnership,” said Dann Standard, Bravo Air’s VP of Operations during the signing ceremony. “The time we spent there helped build a foundation for our partnership, allowed us to learn about their business culture and gain a better understanding of their operations.”
SkyDrive’s aircraft can be used as a short-range air taxi. It can hold the pilot and two passengers. The air taxi has a range of nine miles on a full charge and can be used as transportation between the airport to downtown Augusta, or a similar distance. It takes off and lands vertically, so it requires a small landing zone.
“This collaboration allows us to advance our certification processes in both Japan and the United States simultaneously,” said Fukuzawa. “With the FAA’s experience in the certification process of several eVTOLs and the JCAB already advancing the certification of our aircraft, we aim to work together to create a future where our eVTOL can operate commercially around the world.”
Delivery is expected in 2026. In the future, SkyDrive hopes to develop a larger craft to hold the pilot and three passengers.
Both companies said Augusta Regional’s installation of a charging station for electric aircraft was instrumental in the agreement.
