SK Telecom and Joby Aviation discussed cooperation for participation in Phase 1 of the K-UAM Grand Challenge
Korean carrier SK Telecom and Joby Aviation, a U.S. urban air mobility (UAM) company had talks with the aim of strengthening their cooperation, Korean news service Business Korea reported.
SK Telecom’s key executives, including President Yoo Young-sang,reportedly met with the top officials of Joby Aviation, including CEO JoeBen Bevirt and vice president Eric Allison, on the sidelines of the CES 2023 event, which took place in Las Vegas earlier this month.
According to the report, SK Telecom and Joby Aviation discussed cooperation for participation in Phase 1 of the K-UAM Grand Challenge, a UAM technology demonstration project hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for the commercialization of UAM services in South Korea.
The executives reportedly discussed certification procedures required for bringing Joby Aviation’s aircraft into South Korea, various pilot project promotion plans to generate initial demand for UAM services, and ideas for securing vertiport infrastructure early.
Joby Aviation is developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that it intends to operate as an air taxi service.
SK Telecom is already very active in the UAM space. Last year, an urban air mobility consortium led by SK Telecom and Hanwha Systems had inked a partnership with the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province with the aim of launching an air taxi pilot program, according to local press reports.
The resort island of Jeju is one of South Korea’s main tourist attractions.
The K-UAM Dream Team Consortium, comprised of SK Telecom, Hanwha Systems, the Korea Airports Corp., the Korea Meteorological Institute and LX, a state-run land information provider, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the target of launching the commercial pilot project on Jeju Island in 2025.
Under the terms of the agreement, the consortium will establish vertical take-off and landing ports and a traffic management system to connect Jeju International Airport with major tourist spots in the region.
The deal also stipulates that the Jeju provincial government will provide sites for UAM operations and infrastructure and will also offer administrative support to create a UAM ecosystem on the island.
SK Telecom, KAC and Hanwha Systems have been working together for the development of this UAM initiative since 2021 and formed the K-UAM Dream Team consortium in April with the Korea Transport Institute and Korea Meteorological Institute.
For the pilot project on Jeju, SK Telecom will provide the UAM service, which is being jointly developed with Joby Aviation. SK Telecom will also oversee the development and management of the mobility platform service and network system.
KAC will establish take-off ports for the air taxis and monitor them in the air using existing flight safety infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Hanwha Systems will help develop, operate, and manage the air taxi itself, including helping the consortium to develop navigation and control solutions.
In February 2022, SK Telecom had partnered Joby Aviation to establish an air taxi service in South Korea.
Other multi-company consortiums are also pursuing similar projects in South Korea.
A consortium comprising LG Uplus, Kakao Mobility and GS Caltex previously signed an agreement with the Busan Metropolitan City to launch a similar commercial UAM service.
