2023.10.23
Korean Air, Supernal sign deal to propel urban air mobility ecosystem
BY SEO JI-EUN, CHO JUNG-WOO, Korea JoongAng Daily - Korea's
largest airline Korean Air forged a business agreement with Supernal, an
independent U.S.-based subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Group that specializes
in Urban Air Mobility (UAM), to collaborate on the establishment and
commercialization of the UAM operational ecosystem.
Through the business agreement established at the Seoul
ADEX 2023, the two companies plan to collaborate on determining the technical
specifications required for producing electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing
aircraft (eVTOL) tailored to the domestic UAM market and operating conditions.
Additionally, they will work together on crafting business models, leveraging
their technical data.
The move follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
previously signed by Hyundai Motor Group, Korean Air, Incheon International
Airport Corporation, Hyundai E&C and KT, for the expansion of the domestic
UAM ecosystem.
Supernal has been working in collaboration with
Microsoft to develop future air mobility solutions with the target of launching
commercial UAM services by 2028.
During this year's ADEX event, Supernel revealed its
UAM aircraft interior concept model for the first time in Korea.
"The decision to develop the eVTOL stems from our
group's vision of becoming an integrated mobility solution provider," Shin
Jai-won, CEO of Supernal, told the Korea JoongAng Daily at the Seoul ADEX 2023
in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Tuesday. "Combining ground transportation with
air mobility in the UAM market, especially the market where we electrified the
body size of the model we presented today, is literally a blue ocean. Our
starting point lies in our unique technology, producing the safest aircraft at
scale."
Korean Air's involvement extends to serving as a joint
research institution in the development of UAM surveillance and information
collection systems, under the auspices of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure
and Transport, and developing operational control and simulation systems
required for UAM operations.
The airline is also developing a comprehensive traffic
management system to oversee and manage UAM traffic flows.