SkyDrive, a leading compact eVTOL aircraft (*1) developer based in Japan, announced that it has signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Goyang Special City, a prominent South Korean metropolis leading vertiport development as the Seoul Capital Area hub for South Korea’s national urban air mobility (K-UAM) initiative, and Verty Co. Ltd. (“Verty”), a Seoul-based company establishing integrated systems across flight operations, air traffic management and vertiport administration. Under this agreement, the three parties will collaborate across the public and private sectors to establish operational infrastructure, conduct flight trials and build a regional ecosystem to prepare for commercial eVTOL flights in Goyang City.
Background and Objectives
Driven by its vision of making daily air transportation a reality, SkyDrive is developing and manufacturing compact eVTOL aircraft. Following uncrewed demonstration flights at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (*2), SkyDrive reached an agreement with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau on its project plan and type certification basis, making steady progress toward obtaining commercial airworthiness certification (*3). Leveraging assembly lines established in collaboration with Suzuki Motor Corporation, SkyDrive is currently advancing commercialization projects alongside local partners and municipalities across 10 countries.
South Korea represents a key strategic market for SkyDrive’s global expansion, aligned with the roadmap set by South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to launch commercial eVTOL operations by 2028. SkyDrive’s compact multirotor design is well suited for rooftop vertiport operations (*4), offering a practical solution to urban congestion in densely populated metropolitan areas. To establish commercial operations in South Korea, SkyDrive has partnered with Verty (*5) to assess operational feasibility and develop an end-to-end operational framework encompassing flight operations, fleet management and vertiport infrastructure.
As part of their joint initiative to foster public acceptance of advanced air mobility across South Korea, SkyDrive and Verty co-hosted an exhibition booth at DRONE-UAM EXPO 2026, held at KINTEX in Goyang, Nov. 4-6, 2026. The booth featured a 20% scale mockup of the commercial SKYDRIVE (SD-05 model) aircraft, showcasing the practical future of next-generation air mobility to industry stakeholders and visitors.
Goyang Special City, with a population exceeding 1 million, serves as a leading MICE and cultural center adjacent to Gimpo International Airport. Designated as the primary metropolitan demonstration site for the national K-UAM Grand Challenge, Goyang is rapidly constructing vertiport testbeds and aviation infrastructure around KINTEX. The city is spearheading comprehensive initiatives to establish itself as a central air mobility hub, including aerospace workforce development with Korea Aerospace University, an industry-academia integration complex in the Baekseok district and multimodal transportation models connecting healthcare and tourism resources.
With the shared vision of SkyDrive as an aircraft manufacturer, Verty as an operational and infrastructure integrator, and Goyang Special City as a metropolitan demonstration hub, the three parties established this tripartite MOU. Moving forward, the partners will unite the private sector’s advanced technologies and operational expertise with municipal infrastructure and policy support, collaborating across the public and private sectors to establish the operational foundation for flight trials and commercial eVTOL services in Goyang.
Key Areas of Collaboration
Under the MOU, the three parties will focus on the following key areas to establish a sustainable industrial ecosystem and support commercial operations:
- Industry Growth and Promotion
Establishing collaborative frameworks to foster and expand the eVTOL industry across Goyang Special City. - Flight Trials and Commercial Deployment
Building regulatory, physical and digital operational infrastructure to support demonstration flights, trial operations and future commercial passenger services in Goyang. - Joint Project Exploration
Combining SkyDrive’s aircraft engineering, Verty’s operational integration and Goyang’s regional infrastructure to plan, validate and execute tangible commercial mobility initiatives. - Comprehensive Trilateral Cooperation
Maintaining long-term institutional coordination across aviation and air mobility sectors.
Executive Quotes
Min Kyeong-seon, mayor of Goyang Special City
“Goyang Special City is leading the validation and commercialization of South Korea’s advanced air mobility sector, anchored by our metropolitan K-UAM demonstration site and the KINTEX vertiport infrastructure. This agreement marks a decisive step toward integrating aircraft, flight operations, air traffic management and vertiports into a practical transportation network that citizens can experience firsthand. Working closely with SkyDrive and Verty, we will develop Goyang Special City into an international hub for the global UAM industry.”
Dongwoo Kim, CEO of Verty Co. Ltd.
“We feel a strong sense of responsibility as we prepare for commercial eVTOL operations alongside SkyDrive in Goyang, the safest and most viable launching ground in the Seoul Capital Area. SkyDrive’s aircraft design demonstrates sound business viability from the initial stages of commercial service. Furthermore, Goyang’s position as a dynamic cultural metropolis of 1 million people makes it the ideal environment to expand public acceptance globally. This is precisely why we hold such high expectations for this tripartite MOU. Having participated in demonstration programs supervised by South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute to validate initial commercial K-UAM service models — where we validated operational procedures as a single integrated provider across flight operations, traffic management and vertiport handling — Verty will apply this proven expertise to ensure safe flight trials and commercial success in Goyang.”
Tomohiro Fukuzawa, founder and CEO of SkyDrive Inc.
“Following our initial partnership with Verty, we are deeply honored to enter into this tripartite agreement with Goyang Special City, a vital center for advanced air mobility in South Korea. As the designated metropolitan demonstration hub for the K-UAM Grand Challenge, Goyang is an exceptional partner actively advancing vertiport development and institutional collaboration. By combining SkyDrive’s aircraft manufacturing capabilities with Verty’s comprehensive operational integration and Goyang’s forward-looking civic leadership, we will work in close coordination to conduct flight trials, cultivate public acceptance and prepare the ecosystem for commercial operations by 2028.”
