Korean Urban Air Mobility Testbed 'Goheung-gun' Finally Confirmed

Evaluation of Optimal Sites for Future Aircraft Testing, Demonstration, and Certification

Next-generation personal flying vehicle rendering. Photo by Jeonnam Province Provided

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Goheung has been confirmed as the site for the 'Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Grand Challenge Testbed.'

On the 29th, according to Jeonnam Province, the Goheung National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Center was finally selected as a result of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 'UAM Team Korea Main Council' meeting.

Goheung secures the largest flight demonstration airspace nationwide (area of 380㎢) and does not overlap with military or civilian air routes.

Additionally, since infrastructure such as an aviation center, emergency landing site, hangar, takeoff and landing site, parking area, electrical facilities, and water supply and drainage are already established within the National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Center, it is evaluated as the optimal site for future aircraft testing, evaluation, demonstration, and certification.

The 'Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Grand Challenge Testbed Construction Project' will proactively respond to the future aircraft industry, expected to grow explosively to 731 trillion won (K-UAM roadmap) by 2040, by securing safety for urban operations and verifying testing and operations.

Next year's national government support amount will reach 7.85 billion won. Infrastructure construction including takeoff and landing sites, mobile charging facilities, flight monitoring and control centers, noise measurement equipment, surveillance radar, communication equipment, and modules for aircraft installation, as well as flight demonstration, will be promoted.

In particular, through flight demonstrations, the normal operation of aircraft under conditions such as wind speed and rainfall, and smooth interoperation with communication and surveillance ground facilities will be verified.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to complete open field testing by 2024 as the first phase and commercialize some routes through metropolitan area demonstration route testing from 2025 as the second phase.

Yoon Byung-tae, Jeonnam Province Deputy Governor for Political Affairs, said, “We will actively support the project from groundbreaking to completion to ensure the smooth progress of the Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Grand Challenge Testbed Construction Project,” and added, “Based on the flight demonstration testbed, we will attract future aircraft anchor companies to Jeonnam Province and take the lead in the next-generation transportation market.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.