AAM infrastructure developer and drone services provider Skyports has opened a branch office in Tokyo, Japan. The formation of a local business entity and team in Japan reflects Skyports' continued commitment to developing the AAM industry in close collaboration with local partners, businesses, regulators and end-users.

Skyports' Japan office is the first in the region outside of its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore. The move follows a year of significant activity in the country, with Japanese trading conglomerate Kanematsu Corporation joining Skyports' list of investors in the company's Series B funding round and taking a seat on its board in March, as well as a growing portfolio of vertiport projects in Osaka and Tokyo. Most recently in September 2022, Atsushi Okada was appointed as Skyports' Japan country manager.

Head of Asia-Pacific Yun-Yuan Tay says: “The Asia-Pacific region is an important hub for AAM, and Japan a leading market within it. With support from our investor Kanematsu Corporation, we have significantly matured our networks and portfolio in the country in the last year with multiple projects in progress. The incorporation of our Japanese office was the next logical step in strengthening our operations in the country, enabling us to work closely with the growing ecosystem of AAM players as we approach new milestones in the country.”

Country manager for Japan Atsushi Okada adds: “As a global innovation powerhouse Japan will play an important role in the future of AAM, the next big innovation for the transport and logistics sector. For Skyports, the focus for the next year is to progress our ongoing projects in Osaka and Tokyo through site assessments and regular engagements with the regulatory authorities as we look towards 2025 for initial deployment.”

Okada will oversee Skyports' infrastructure and drone services operations in the country and lead an extensive list of priorities including real estate agreements, local stakeholder engagement, regulatory approvals, airport and airspace planning, operational procedures and enabling technology.