Japanese eVTOL aircraft manufacturer SkyDrive has reached a general understanding with 7A Drones, a major Taiwanese drone system company, for the purchase of 10 SkyDrive SD-05 eVTOL aircraft. This agreement outlines the framework, including pricing structure and delivery timelines for the 10 aircraft. The two companies have also developed a proposed emergency medical evacuation route connecting Magong City on Penghu's main island with Hujing Island, a more remote island within the Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait.

SkyDrive's mission is to ‘lead the once-in-a-century mobility revolution’ by developing eVTOLs that can seamlessly integrate short-hop air travel into regular transport networks. Following successful demonstration flights at the Expo 2025 in Osaka, the company is now focused on its next major milestone of achieving full-scale commercialisation by 2028.

7A Drones provides a wide range of air mobility solutions in Taiwan, including advanced drone operations, consulting and pilot training. In May 2025, SkyDrive and 7A Drones signed a business partnership agreement to work toward the development and public acceptance of eVTOLs in the region.

At the time of that agreement, 7A Drones also signed a pre-order agreement with SkyDrive for up to 10 SkyDrive aircraft. Since then, SkyDrive and 7A Drones have been exploring how eVTOLs could provide for the emergency medical transportation of patients and medical staff in Taiwan's Penghu Islands. Following extensive discussions on specific commercialisation timelines, the two companies have progressed from an initial study phase through to a formal agreement, reaching a consensus on basic terms for the purchase of 10 SkyDrive SD-05 units, including specific pricing and delivery schedules. The schedules include the delivery of one aircraft in 2028 and four aircraft in 2029.

As a concrete first step, SkyDrive and 7A Drones have developed a proposed emergency medical evacuation route connecting Magong City on Penghu's main island with the more remote island of Hujing.

The Penghu Islands, which consist of 90 islands of various sizes, face chronic challenges including restricted inter-island transportation during rough winter weather when ferry services are frequently cancelled. This issue is particularly serious for Hujing Island, which has only one basic public clinic serving a population of approximately 860 people. When critically ill patients require urgent care, they need quick access to advanced medical facilities located off the island. One common destination hospital is medical facility in Magong City.

The goal is for the SkyDrive SD-05 to complement conventional marine and helicopter transport, enabling the establishment of an emergency medical transport system that is more robust in the face of difficult sea conditions.

Tomohiro Fukuzawa, founder and CEO, SkyDrive, says: “We are delighted that 7A Drones, our business partner in Taiwan, has signed this letter of intent for the purchase of SkyDrive aircraft. As our first letter of intent in the Asian market, this agreement marks a significant milestone in the expansion of SkyDrive's overseas businesses.

“We are particularly pleased to announce a first concrete expansion into the medical sector with joint proposals for emergency medical routes in the Penghu Islands. By leveraging the fast response and stable operation of eVTOL aircraft to address the transport challenges faced by island communities, we can help build a more robust medical infrastructure. We are proud to contribute towards this worthy goal.

“As we work towards the commercialisation of our eVTOL services in 2028, we will further strengthen our partnership with 7A Drones and ITRI. We are accelerating our aircraft development and building the infrastructure required to make travelling by eVTOL a regular part of everyday life. Together, our goal is to deliver safe and convenient air mobility to the people of Taiwan as soon as we possibly can.”

Hsin-Sheng Hsu, CEO of 7A Drones, adds: “We are pleased to announce that 7A Drones has entered into a letter of intent (LOI) with SkyDrive regarding the potential purchase of aircraft. We consider this agreement to be a highly meaningful milestone. This LOI represents an important starting point for 7A Drones to explore the potential for cooperation with SkyDrive and other Japanese companies in the field of next-generation air mobility.

“In particular, the concept of utilising advanced air mobility solutions for emergency medical transportation in the Penghu Islands has drawn our strong interest, as it may serve as one possible approach to addressing the challenges faced by remote island communities, including transportation constraints and equitable access to medical services.

“We believe it is essential to engage in careful and constructive dialogue with all relevant stakeholders to explore how new forms of mobility, such as so-called eVTOLs, can contribute to local communities in a practical and socially meaningful manner. Going forward, 7A Drones will work closely with SkyDrive and other related partners, while sharing information and perspectives, to thoroughly examine the technical, operational and regulatory aspects required to realise this initiative.

“Through this project, we hope to further strengthen substantive private-sector cooperation and dialogue between Taiwan and Japan, and to contribute to the long-term development of cross-border collaboration in advanced mobility.”