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. 

SkyDrive and the Kyushu Railway Company joined forces last year to integrate future eVTOL air taxi operations with local railway services within Kyushu, Japan’s third-largest island. Oita prefecture in northeast Kyushu is a popular tourist destination famous for its hot springs.

Initially, the government of Oita and its partners plan to launch air taxi operations within the city of Beppu and scenic flight tours over Beppu Bay, along with a route connecting Beppu to Yufuin, a nearby resort town. According to SkyDrive, the trip from Beppu to Yufuin would take about 15 minutes in its eVTOL air taxi, whereas it’s a 40-minute drive or an hour-long train ride. 

From 2030, the partners aim to expand the air taxi network westward, connecting Yufuin to Kokonoe, Kusu, and Okuhita. They also plan to add three routes connecting the capital city of Oita to Beppu, Yufuin, and Oita Airport. 

Although future ticket pricing remains to be determined, SkyDrive and the Kyushu Railway Company said they intend to keep the cost “low enough to compete with conventional road-based taxis.”

SkyDrive expects to obtain a type certificate for the SD-05 eVTOL aircraft from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) in 2026, and it expects to secure U.S. approval via the FAA’s validation of the JCAB certification. Its order book includes more than 300 aircraft from customers in the U.S., Korea, and Vietnam, as well as in Japan.

SkyDrive is also working with JCAB on provisional airworthiness approval that would allow it to conduct public flight demonstrations with the SD-05 during the 2025 World Expo event in Osaka.

U.S. manufacturer Joby also has plans to introduce eVTOL air services in Japan. It is backed by major automotive group Toyota and last year demonstrated its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft outside Tokyo.