Korea Airports Corporation Successfully Demonstrates UAM with SKT and US Joby

Phase 1 Demonstration Completed... OK Even in Complex Urban Areas

Korea Airports Corporation conducted a demonstration project for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) aircraft in collaboration with SK Telecom, the U.S. company Joby Aviation, and Hanwha Systems.

On the 16th, Korea Airports Corporation announced that it had completed the first phase of integrated linkage testing between the world's first self-developed UAM traffic management and vertiport operation system and UAM aircraft over two weeks earlier this month at the Gochang National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Center in Jeollanam-do.

During this demonstration event, the integration between the traffic management system and vertiport operation system developed by the corporation was conducted using Joby's S-4 aircraft. This proved that safe and efficient UAM operation is possible even in complex urban environments. The vertiport and traffic management system serve as the airport and control tower roles for UAM aircraft, respectively.

The corporation plans to verify the safety of UAM flights in complex urban environments in the second phase of the demonstration next year. Based on this, it aims to commercialize tourism and transportation-type UAM services in Jeju Island and the southern coastal region by 2026.

Lee Jeong-gi, Acting President of Korea Airports Corporation, stated, "Based on 44 years of accumulated aviation safety technology and know-how, we will do our best to establish UAM as a new safe mode of transportation."

Employees of Korea Airports Corporation, SK Telecom, Hanwha Systems, and Joby in the United States are taking a commemorative photo after completing the first phase demonstration of the 'K-UAM Grand Challenge' at the National Integrated Flight Performance Test Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do on the 15th. Photo by Korea Airports Corporation

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