South Korea is shifting preparations for passenger drone transport into higher gear with plans to launch air taxi service by 2026, and autonomous urban air mobility (UAM) operations within the following decade.
South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) said it hopes to orchestrate the rollout of commercial air taxi services by the end of 2025, and will commence testing of automated flights in 2030 as it pushes to broaden UAM alternatives to the country’s congested road system. After a series of pilotless trials in urban settings, the MLIT hopes to authorize fully autonomous air taxi operation by 2035.
Like several developed countries around the globe, South Korea has realized the rapid speed with which UAM craft for services like air taxis is advancing may produce vehicles ready for operation before governments have done the advance work to allow that. As a result, Seoul is joining other global capitals in laying down time markers…
