First successful flight of SkyDrive’s eVTOL secured by Thales's next generation Flight Control System

SkyDrive, a leading eVTOL aircraft manufacturer based in Japan, made a historic breakthrough with the first successful demonstration flight of its three-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft SkyDrive on 9 April at Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan.

SkyDrive is powered by Thales's next-generation flight control system, FlytRise, which is based on its 40+ years of proven experience in flight control solutions, and it is specially adapted to the requirements of unmanned aircraft: autonomy, lightweight design, and compactness.

Designed for intra-urban flights, SkyDrive requires flight control solutions that ensure the safety of its flight path over populated areas. The flight control system is one of the critical elements of aircraft, essential for flight safety as it calculates and adjusts the position of the aircraft's control surfaces and manages engine thrust.

Thales pioneered electric flight solutions 40 years ago with the first installation on the Airbus A310. Since then, more than 13,000 aircraft have been equipped with Thales solutions.

"SkyDrive's first flight in Osaka marks a historic milestone for autonomous aerial mobility," said Florent Chauvancy, Vice President of Flight Avionics at Thales. "We are proud to be associated with this adventure alongside SkyDrive and to contribute with FlytRise to making flights ever safer and more sustainable."