Korean Air sign urban air mobility agreement

From left to right: Mr Lee Sang-Rryool, President of Korea Aerospace Research Institute; Mr Woo Keehong, President of Korean Air and Mr Kim Kyung Wook, CEO of Incheon International Airport Corporation.

Korean Air has signed an urban air mobility (UAM) research and development (R&D) agreement with Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) to evolve the UAM industry.

The three organisations will conduct joint R&D to establish UAM operations, develop the UAM industry and evolve a transportation management system.

Through the co-operation, Korean Air plans to utilise the technical capabilities of each organisation to achieve meaningful results.

With its extensive experience operating commercial aircraft and expertise in unmanned aircraft development, Korean Air aims to develop the domestic UAM industry with synergy. This will be possible through the partnership with the IIAC, which has air navigational aids and airport construction and operation capabilities, and KARI with its research competencies regarding future air traffic management.

As the next solution to solve traffic congestion and environmental problems by utilising city skyways, UAM’s global market worth is expected to reach about $1.5 trillion by 2040. Accordingly, the Korean government formed UAM Team Korea in June 2020 in a proactive effort to commercialise UAM in Korea by 2025. The government is leading public and private sector co-operation, while it pushes for the early stabilisation of Korean urban air transportation.

Korean Air plans to create a foundation for UAM in Korea by increasing its technical co-operation with government agencies and research institutes, while actively establishing infrastructure and operating control systems to open up the city skyways.