Japan-based eVTOL aircraft manufacturer SkyDrive has signed an agreement with Osaka Metro to study the feasibility of using eVTOL in the Osaka area after the Expo 2025 Osaka in Kansai, Japan. Osaka Metro has also invested in SkyDrive.

SkyDrive's mission is to taking the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution, and its vision is to create a future where everyone uses eVTOLs for daily transportation, in Japan and across the world. In February 2023, SkyDrive was selected to participate in the AAM Smart Mobility Expo project within Expo 2025, where it plans to fly its SD-05 eVTOL aircraft.

Osaka Metro operates eight subway lines and one new tram line, using an automated, driverless tram. Each day, around 2.4 million passengers use the Osaka Metro rapid transit system. The company is also advancing an urban mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) concept called e METRO that integrates various modes of transport, including subways, buses and taxis, to make getting around Osaka city more convenient. In February 2024, Osaka Metro was selected as an operator of a vertiport outside the Expo site in Osaka.

SkyDrive and Osaka Metro will be discussing vertiport operations both during and after the Expo; they will explore detailed business plans and operations to determine how they can practically use eVTOL technology.