Osaka Metro Unveils "OSAKAKO Vertiport" for Expo 2025

Osaka Metro Unveils “OSAKAKO Vertiport”, a New Takeoff and Landing Facility for eVTOL at Expo 2025
New vertiport to host SkyDrive demo flights
OSAKA & TOYOTA, Japan, March 28, 2025 – Osaka Metro Co., Ltd. (“Osaka Metro”) today announced the completion of the “OSAKAKO Vertiport”, a new eVTOL take off and landing facility intended to serve the venue of the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai (“the Expo”). SkyDrive, an Aichi-based company preparing to provide commercial eVTOL (*1) services, will use the new vertiport for demonstration flights, which will take place as part of the Expo program. To mark the occasion, a completion ceremony was held in collaboration with Osaka City.


OSAKAKO Vertiport completion ceremony on March 28th, 2025　From Left: MYAKU-MYAKU, Kenichi Komoto (Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition Director-General of the Planning Bureau), Tomohiro Fukuzawa (SkyDrive CEO) , Hideaki Kawai (Osaka Metro President), Toru Takahashi (City of Osaka Deputy Mayor), Shigekazu Nishiumi (Cabinet Secretariat Counsellor Secretariat of the Headquarters for the Promotion of International Expositions), Yasuo Ishii (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Osaka Regional Civil Aviation Bureau Director)
Background
Osaka Metro, a transportation provider aiming to make Osaka a significantly more convenient and comfortable city, operates nine metro lines and the New Tram, an automated, driverless service. As part of this mission, the company is promoting “e METRO”, an urban MaaS (Mobility as a Service) initiative designed to meet the diverse needs of customers by providing a unified mobility service that integrates various modes of transport, including future eVTOL flights.

SkyDrive’s eVTOL aircraft “SKYDRIVE” (*2) offers a new form of aerial mobility that enables fast and efficient short-to-medium-distance travel. In combination with existing land transport options, SKYDRIVE not only delivers versatility and convenience, it also has the potential to provide unique, high-value leisure travel experiences distinct from those offered by traditional mobility options such buses (whether scheduled or on-demand) and subway routes.

Recognizing the potential of eVTOL as a promising form of transportation, Osaka Metro, in August 2024, entered into a business partnership agreement with SkyDrive to realize an ideal mix of mobility options for its customers (*3).

In January 2024, Osaka Metro was chosen by the City of Osaka through an open bid process designed to select the future operator of a vertiport to serve the Expo venue in Osaka City’s Minato Ward.

Since winning that bid, Osaka Metro has been developing the vertiport at Osaka Port’s Chuo Pier (central pier) (*4). During the Expo, SKYDRIVE is scheduled to operate demo flights between the EXPO Vertiport, a vertiport located inside the Expo site, and the OSAKAKO Vertiport (*5) .

The name “OSAKAKO Vertiport” references “Osaka Ko”, the name of the nearest station, which is on Osaka Metro’s Chuo Line. Through the Expo 2025 program, Osaka Metro hopes to promote wider recognition of the word “vertiport” as a term for describing an eVTOL takeoff and landing site.

Facility Overview
The vertiport facilities include a hangar for the maintenance, refueling, and storage of eVTOLs, a takeoff and landing area, and a passenger facility where users can experience the simulated check-in and boarding of a mock-up eVTOL aircraft through a process that includes facial recognition. The vertiport is also designed to serve as a mobility hub, connecting eVTOLs with other transportation options such as on-demand buses and shared bicycles.