SkyDrive and Abu Dhabi to launch SD-05 eVTOL service
SkyDrive and Abu Dhabi ITC sign MoU to deploy SD-05 eVTOL
SkyDrive and Abu Dhabi to launch SD-05 eVTOL service
SkyDrive and Abu Dhabi's ITC sign an MoU at DRIFTx 2025 to deploy the SD-05 eVTOL, with vertiports, charging and rules for permanent urban air mobility.
2025-11-19T08:32:20+03:00
2025-11-19T08:32:20+03:00
2025-11-19T08:32:20+03:00
SkyDrive has signed a memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) during the DRIFTx 2025 event. The parties agreed to introduce the SD-05 electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft into the emirate’s transport system. The project will be part of a program to build urban aviation infrastructure.The partnership outlines a full eVTOL ecosystem: constructing vertiports, installing charging stations, and conducting technical studies. Abu Dhabi aims to be among the first cities where commercial eVTOL operations run on a permanent basis. The initiative also includes regulatory preparation and planning for support facilities. Taken together, the plan looks less like a showcase and more like groundwork for everyday service—precisely the kind of pragmatism that tends to move mobility forward.SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa said Abu Dhabi’s proactive stance makes it an ideal partner for developing this new mode of transport. ITC noted that the agreement aligns with its strategy for smart and autonomous solutions. In this context, deploying eVTOL is framed as a major step in modernizing urban mobility, with an emphasis on innovation comparable to the best passenger cars on the road.
SkyDrive, SD-05, eVTOL, Abu Dhabi, ITC, DRIFTx 2025, urban air mobility, vertiports, charging infrastructure, memorandum of understanding, commercial eVTOL operations, smart transport
2025
Michael Powers
news
SkyDrive and Abu Dhabi ITC sign MoU to deploy SD-05 eVTOL
SkyDrive and Abu Dhabi's ITC sign an MoU at DRIFTx 2025 to deploy the SD-05 eVTOL, with vertiports, charging and rules for permanent urban air mobility.
Michael Powers, Editor
SkyDrive has signed a memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) during the DRIFTx 2025 event. The parties agreed to introduce the SD-05 electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft into the emirate’s transport system. The project will be part of a program to build urban aviation infrastructure.
The partnership outlines a full eVTOL ecosystem: constructing vertiports, installing charging stations, and conducting technical studies. Abu Dhabi aims to be among the first cities where commercial eVTOL operations run on a permanent basis. The initiative also includes regulatory preparation and planning for support facilities. Taken together, the plan looks less like a showcase and more like groundwork for everyday service—precisely the kind of pragmatism that tends to move mobility forward.
SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa said Abu Dhabi’s proactive stance makes it an ideal partner for developing this new mode of transport. ITC noted that the agreement aligns with its strategy for smart and autonomous solutions. In this context, deploying eVTOL is framed as a major step in modernizing urban mobility, with an emphasis on innovation comparable to the best passenger cars on the road.
