Airtificial and SkyDrive sign strategic partnership to manufacture electric aircraft
Airtificial and SkyDrive sign strategic partnership to manufacture electric aircraft
- Airtificial signs a contract with the Japanese company SkyDrive to manufacture the structural components of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, designed for urban air mobility.
- Airtificial continues its diversification strategy, both geographic and product related, with its entry in the Japanese market and the addition of a new client.
Madrid, 22 July 2026. Airtificial Group, through its Aerospace & Defense division, has been selected by Japanese company SkyDrive for the industrialization and manufacture of the primary and secondary structural components of its electric eVTOL aircraft. This is one of the largest contracts for the manufacture of structural components for civil aviation signed in Airtificial’s 30-year history and marks its entry into the advanced electric air mobility market, as well as its first contract with a Japanese aircraft manufacturer. The Spanish company holds major contracts with companies such as Airbus to manufacture structural components for numerous commercial aircraft, including the A320, the best-selling passenger aircraft in recent years.
SkyDrive is a Japanese company specialized in the development of eVTOL aircraft. Its SD-05 model, designed to carry one pilot and two passengers, is part of a new generation of vehicles aimed at advancing electric air mobility, a technology expected to transform urban transportation in major cities around the world.
Airtificial Aerospace & Defense will manufacture, at its Jerez facility, various structural carbon fibres components for each SkyDrive aircraft. These structural parts must meet the stringent manufacturing quality and flight safety standards required by the aerospace industry, standards that Airtificial consistently achieves thanks to more than 30 years of experience manufacturing aircraft components for both civil and military aviation. Airtificial also manufactures approximately 60,000 composite aircraft parts each year for civil and military aviation programs. The use of carbon fibre solutions reduces weight compared with equivalent metallic alternatives, helping improve aircraft energy efficiency. The Company has also applied its expertise to the manufacture of structural components for cars, motorcycles and drones.
The addition of SkyDrive as a new customer and Airtificial’s entry into this new market enable the company to expand its presence in an emerging segment with significant growth potential. Advanced air mobility is one of the aerospace sector’s segments with the greatest growth potential, driven by the development of more sustainable and efficient transport solutions. This contract represents a further step in the division’s international growth strategy and once again demonstrates its ability to adapt to new aerospace technologies.
Guillermo Fernández de Peñaranda, CEO of Airtificial, said: “The addition of SkyDrive as a new customer represents an important strategic step for Airtificial. Not only are we expanding our international presence, but we are also entering a market with enormous growth potential, bringing our expertise in this field to a new generation of aircraft.”
Arnaud Coville, CTO of SkyDrive, said: “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Airtificial during the Farnborough International Airshow, a premier stage for global aviation innovation. Airtificial are a proven aerospace supplier with wide composite capabilities. Their flexibility and support during the preliminary design stages was extremely helpful and their rapid tooling capabilities have significantly reduced the supply lead time. Airtificial’s outstanding expertise in advanced manufacturing makes them the ideal partner as we accelerate our path toward international airworthiness certification and our commercial launch in 2028.”
About Airtificial
Airtificial offers global and innovative design and manufacturing solutions for the automotive, civil and defense aerospace, infrastructure and other industrial sectors, integrating advanced technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence which, together with human interaction, contribute to more sustainable development. Listed on the Spanish Continuous Market, it has an operational presence in 18 countries across the main markets of Europe, the Americas and Asia, and contributes to the digital transformation and the automation and optimization of its customers’ industrial processes through sustainable and competitive growth.
For more information, visit: https://airtificial.com/aerospace-defense/
About SkyDrive Inc.
SkyDrive is an eVTOL company aiming “to take the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution.” The company began testing eVTOL prototypes in 2014, before being officially established in 2018. In line with its vision for the future of urban transportation, flying in eVTOL aircraft will become a regular part of everyday life in cities. In 2019, SkyDrive became the first company to conduct a crewed eVTOL flight in Japan. In 2025, SkyDrive is working with civil aviation authorities in Japan and the United States to obtain certification for “SKYDRIVE,” the company’s latest eVTOL model. SkyDrive conducted the first public flight of SKYDRIVE during Expo 2025 Osaka in April 2025 and plans to carry out further demonstration flights during the summer. SkyDrive began production of “SKYDRIVE” in March 2024 at a facility owned by Suzuki Motor Corporation, SkyDrive’s official production partner. The company is headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, and is led by CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa, an engineer and entrepreneur.
For more information, visit: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/en/
Press contact:
Airtificial Group: / +34 91 576 52 50
Guiomar Pérez: +34 654 131 327
Lucía Pérez: +34 633 71 97 26
SkyDrive Inc. Public Relations email:
