South Korea Prepares For ‘Multi-Modal’ Transport & Air Taxi Services
South Korea is about to get an air taxi service, courtesy of a partnership between California-based eVTOL startup Joby Aviation and South Korean telecommunication giant SK Telecom (SKT).
This agreement will see a “revolutionary form of transportation” developed in line with the 2020 South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport’s “K-UAM” (Korean Urban Air Mobility) Roadmap.
SK’s T Map mobility platform, which is South Korea’s largest mobility platform, will be leveraged to offer the air taxi service. The UT ride hailing service, a joint venture between SKT and Uber, will also be tapped to “provide multi-modal journeys to customers seamlessly integrating both ground and air travel.”
Each aircraft has a maximum range of 150 miles and a top speed of 200 mph, while boasting a low-noise profile that makes it easy to traverse dense urban areas with minimal disruption.
This, the companies hope, will ensure that emissions-free air travel can become “an everyday reality.”
“With more than 42 million people living in urban areas, South Korea offers a remarkable opportunity for Joby to make air travel a part of daily life, helping people to save time while reducing their carbon footprint,” says JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, in a statement.
Modern Flying reports that Joby is on track to receive full FAA certification by 2024, which will allow it to formally begin providing services. Apart from South Korea, Joby also has plans to offer similar air taxi services in the US via the Uber app.
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[via Modern Flying and TechCrunch , image via Joby Aviation]
