Jeju Air Signs MOU with Domestic AAM Aircraft Manufacturer Plana

Jeju Air announced on the 6th that it has signed a business agreement with Plana, a domestic 'Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)' aircraft manufacturer.

Jeju Air and Plana signed the business agreement on the same day at Jeju Air's Seoul branch in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, with executives and employees from both companies attending, to discover business models in the AAM field.

Through this business agreement, Jeju Air and Plana will collaborate on the first phase of the 'Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Grand Challenge,' conducting research and verification to check aircraft safety, integrated operability, noise measurement, and more. They also plan to cooperate in various areas including discovering business models in the AAM field, which encompasses UAM and Regional Air Mobility (RAM), jointly conducting industrial research projects, and training industry professionals.

Kim I-bae, CEO of Jeju Air (left), and Kim Jae-hyung, CEO of Plana, are seen signing a business agreement and taking a commemorative photo at Jeju Air's Seoul office located in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on March 6. Photo by Jeju Air

Kim I-bae, CEO of Jeju Air, said, “As an air transportation operator, we will discover stable business models based on our know-how and knowledge of aviation management.” He added, “In particular, the business agreement with Plana, which is developing hybrid-based AAM, is an important step for Jeju Air to expand its business model beyond UAM to AAM.”

Jeju Air is participating in the Korean Urban Air Mobility Grand Challenge hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport through two methods: ▲single-field research verification and ▲consortium integrated verification.

In the single-field research verification, Jeju Air plans to collaborate with Plana to study operator systems and operational procedures, while in the consortium integrated verification, it will form a consortium with Daewoo Engineering & Construction to verify integrated operability among UAM stakeholders.

Plana is the only domestic company developing hybrid-based vertical takeoff and landing electric aircraft. / With a commercialization target of 2028, it is developing an aircraft that can accommodate up to seven pilots and passengers and operate over 500 km.

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