Korean charter operator Moviation has agreed to buy 20 of the 30-seat S-1 eVTOL aircraft under development by UK start-up Sora Aviation. The companies announced the pre-order agreement on March 10 and did not disclose the projected price for the aircraft, which is expected to be certified and ready to enter service in 2031 with a range of almost 90 nm.
Under their memorandum of understanding, Sora and Moviation will explore uses cases for the S-1 on three routes of between 30 and 57 nm. These will include connections from Jamsil heliport in the center of Seoul, which Moviation operates, to Incheon Airport and South Korea’s planned new administrative capital, Sejong City. The operator also plans to connect Incheon Airport with Seoul’s Yeouido downtown district.
“As South Korea accelerates its transition to urban air mobility, we see the S-1 as a game-changer,” said Moviation CEO Min Shin. “Its larger capacity and lower operating costs per passenger compared to helicopters and small eVTOLs make it an ideal fit for high-demand routes like Jamsil to Incheon. This partnership is a crucial step toward making air mobility more accessible and practical for a wider range of passengers.”
According to Sora’s CEO and co-founder Furqan, the company is close to completing the preliminary design for the S-1, which has six tilting rotors installed on a tandem wing. The company has developed prototype batteries for the aircraft and is working with Continuum Dynamics on flight dynamics modelling and the development of prop rotors.
When it announced the launch of a Series A funding round in August 2024, Sora said it aimed to have a full-scale technology demonstrator ready to start flight testing in 2028. At the time, it said it mainly saw the S-1, which has a significantly higher payload than most eVTOL air taxi designs, being used for airport shuttle services.
“The S-1 is designed not just for efficiency, but also to ensure that urban air mobility is truly accessible to more people, not just a luxury service,” Furqan commented. “This pre-order underscores the demand for higher capacity eVTOLs that can deliver equitable access to air mobility.”
Through its Vonaer service, Moviation offers a variety of charter flight options with a fleet of rotorcraft and business jets. It also operates scheduled 20-minute helicopter flights between Incheon Airport and Seoul’s Gangnam district.
The South Korean government has signalled strong support for advanced air mobility development through initiatives such as its K-UAM Grand Challenge event. Several other eVTOL aircraft developers have established partnerships in the country, including Eve Air Mobility and Joby Aviation.