Hanwha Elite Agents Who Took Uber... "Launching Air Taxis by 2029"
Core Engineers of Hanwha Systems
Dispatched to US Developer 'Overair'
Co-developing 5-Seater Air Taxi
Combining Aviation-Related Patent Competitiveness
With Global Partner Know-How
Accelerating Commercialization in Southeast Asian Market
[Asia Economy Reporter Park So-yeon] Hanwha Group's global air taxi commercialization project has officially started. Hanwha plans to develop air taxis with global partners, conduct pilot services domestically and internationally from 2026, and commercialize them by 2029.
According to the industry on the 28th, Hanwha recently dispatched core engineers from Hanwha Systems, an IT-based advanced defense company, to the US air taxi developer 'Overair.' These engineers are collaborating closely with local engineers, combining Hanwha's technological capabilities and global partners' know-how to realize the dream of global air taxi commercialization.
Overair is a key company in 'Uber Elevate,' a global alliance centered on Uber for air taxi commercialization. Hanwha Systems has invested approximately 30 billion KRW in this company.
Hanwha Systems is jointly developing a 5-seater air taxi with Overair. The air taxi can be understood as a large drone that generates lift with multiple propellers to lift the aircraft. Its vertical takeoff and landing capability makes it suitable for urban areas where securing runways is difficult.
In particular, Hanwha Systems is known to have an advantage in price competition over other companies due to its numerous aviation-related patents acquired through defense technology development. Hanwha Systems holds useful technology patents for air taxi development, including sensors, radar, communication, and avionics technologies.
Hanwha Group expects the global commercialization of air taxis by 2029. Recently, Hanwha Systems was selected as a key partner in the government's Urban Air Mobility (UAM) project, raising expectations that the commercialization timeline could be accelerated. The government aims to commercialize UAM services by 2025.
A Hanwha Systems official said, "We plan to expand cooperative relationships with leading domestic and international companies to provide total solutions for future mobility, including not only joint aircraft development with global companies but also operation services and infrastructure, and to explore comprehensive business opportunities."
The industry expects the first commercialization of air taxis between 2023 and 2025, with full-scale expansion around 2030 to 2035. As a comprehensive industrial ecosystem forms?including aircraft manufacturing and maintenance (MRO), operation and control, infrastructure, services, and insurance?the global market size is projected to reach about 730 trillion KRW by 2040. Hanwha plans to complete commercialization tests before the full-scale expansion period and start global market entry and market dominance from 2029, both domestically and internationally.
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An industry insider said, "Hanwha has dispatched only elite personnel to the US," adding, "This is to maximize the business utilization of technological achievements developed in collaboration with global companies." He also mentioned, "Hanwha views global markets such as the US, Australia, and Europe as key strategic regions."
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