SKT Launches Domestic UAM Commercialization... Signs Commercialization Agreement with Joby Aviation

Next Year, Introduce Zobi Aircraft to Verify Overall Safety of UAM Operations

SK Telecom is partnering with global urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation to commercialize UAM in South Korea.

On the 20th, SKT signed a cooperation agreement with Joby at the SK T Tower for the "Korean Urban Air Mobility Demonstration Project (K-UAM Grand Challenge)" and commercialization efforts.

Through this agreement, the two companies will deploy their overall capabilities?including technology, infrastructure, and personnel?into the UAM demonstration project to verify safe flight operations optimized for the domestic environment.

In the first phase of the demonstration project scheduled for next year at the Jeonnam Goheung National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Center, SKT and Joby plan to use Joby’s aircraft (S4) to verify flight operations across various scenarios such as ▲integrated normal operation ▲noise measurement ▲abnormal situation response capabilities ▲collision management. In particular, they will test communication quality at the UAM flight altitude of 300?600 meters by utilizing the UAM-specialized airspace network based on 4G and 5G built by SKT. To this end, Joby will also dispatch its technical personnel to South Korea.

SKT explained that this agreement is significant as it concretizes a stable aircraft procurement plan for the country’s first commercialization in 2025. For domestic UAM commercialization, securing aircraft certified by global authorities such as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is essential. Joby has completed over 70% of the third stage of the FAA aircraft certification process, the Certification Plan, and showcased its mass-production aircraft in June, demonstrating the fastest certification progress in the global industry.

In June, SKT made a strategic investment of $100 million in Joby, securing exclusive rights to use Joby’s aircraft in the Korean market. Along with this contract, SKT plans to bring Joby’s aircraft into South Korea next year.

SKT intends to leverage UAM as a catalyst for AI transformation (AIX·AI Transformation) in the mobility sector, aligned with its vision as an "AI Company." Although initial commercialization will begin with piloted flights, integrating AI-based UAM ecosystems is necessary to enable personalized services linked with ground transportation and unmanned autonomous flights.

UAM is a mobility service based on electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. It is a comprehensive transportation system flying at 300?600 meters above urban areas, connected with ground transportation, expected to alleviate traffic congestion and reduce carbon emissions.

The K-UAM Grand Challenge, hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is a demonstration project to comprehensively verify key elements of UAM operations in urban and non-urban areas ahead of commercialization in 2025. In February, SKT signed a participation agreement for the demonstration project as part of the K-UAM Dream Team Consortium (SKT, Korea Airports Corporation, Hanwha Systems, T Map Mobility) with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Ham Min-yong, SKT’s Chief Digital Officer (CDO), said, “With this agreement, we plan to introduce the world’s top-level UAM aircraft next year and verify safe flight capabilities. Going forward, SKT will open the era of ‘AI Mobility’ that changes the paradigm of movement by integrating UAM with AI technology.”

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