Sightseeing flights over the Gold Coast could enter the eVTOL age in 2028 under a tentative deal that has just been signed.
Japan’s SkyDrive makes electric VTOL (Vertical Take-Off Landing) aircraft and signed a letter of intent to supply five aircraft to Gold Coast Helitours; two in 2028 and three in 2029.
Gold Coast Helitours chief pilot and director Scott Menzies says the quiet flights will offer a new experience for passengers.
“By adding incredibly quiet and environmentally friendly eVTOL aircraft to our fleet, we can offer an unprecedented new era of air travel,” he says.
“This beautiful coastline is the perfect stage for such a launch.”
SkyDrive founder and CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa says their agreement is their first in Australia.
SIGHTSEEING ROUTE FINALISED
“Gold Coast Helitours is an outstanding partner with a proven history of safe operations and a clear, forward-looking vision for next-generation mobility,” he says.
A proposed sightseeing route has already been agreed upon, SkyDrive says; it involves using an existing heliport at Marina Mirage, Main Beach.
Flights will comprise of 10-minute scenic loops over the Broadwater, Southport, and Surfers Paradise.
The local company’s long-term plans involve using Southport Airfield as a maintenance hub for an eVTOL fleet operating between the Gold Coast CBD and the airport.
Both companies will work together to secure the regulatory approval as they build a dedicated vertiport and repair facility at Southport Airfield.
ABOUT THE COMPANIES
Gold Coast Helitours offers services that range from sightseeing flights and charters to corporate transport, aerial filming, fire and rescue, and specialised cargo transport. It operates a mobile helipad at sea and seven helicopters. Details: www.goldcoasthelitours.com.au/
In 2019, SkyDrive became the first company to fly a crewed eVTOL in Japan and in 2025, showed off its eVTOL aircraft at the Osaka Expo. Production began in March 2024 and the company is working on civil certification in Japan and the US for a 2028 launch there. Details: visit https://skydrive.co.jp/en/
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