Korean Air tests UAM operations on island routes off Incheon

Korean Air said on Wednesday that it has successfully tested urban air mobility (UAM) operations on island routes off Korea’s west coast, marking a step toward expanding the technology beyond population centers.

The carrier conducted the demonstration — using a surrogate aircraft in cooperation with KT, Hyundai Motor and Hyundai Engineering & Construction — near Incheon on Tuesday.

Korean Air used its in-house Air Control & Routing Orchestrated Skyway System to manage flight operations and air traffic, testing the system’s capabilities in an island environment.

The airline plans to complete the first phase of Incheon’s UAM control system project in December as part of its efforts to develop traffic management and flight operations systems for future air taxi services.

Yonhap