Korean Air Completes Country's First UAM Flight Demonstration

Korean Air has completed Korea’s first urban air mobility (UAM) validation flights, which were performed in a test corridor in the South Korean city of Incheon. The test flights, conducted using an unspecified helicopter, served to validate traffic management and flight operations associated with potential future UAM services.

The trials were conducted with partners including Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) and telecom provider KT. According to Korean Air, they exercise “successfully executed key missions” vital to operational safety and stability.

Integral to these demonstrations was Korean Air’s proprietary UAM operations and traffic management platform ACROSS (Air Control and Routing Orchestrated Skyway System). This enables real-time flight path monitoring, helps optimise traffic flow, allows for what the airline  describes as “seamless airspace handovers between multiple operators and traffic management systems,” and provides an alternative routing in the event of an emergency.

Numerous flights were carried out over a 12-day period from through October 31, using a specially designated test corridor along the Ara Canal between Seo-gu and Gyeyang-gu. KT explained that the demonstration flights “intensively verified” the stability of the system. These flights were also the first to integrate a UAM-specific 5G communication and surveillance system.

This technology uses a dedicated 5G connectivity network in the 800MHz band, which allowed KT to achieve clear voice call quality “even at altitudes of 300 to 600m”.

KT also said that “real-time processing of flight data via the 5G aviation network also shortened the flight authorisation process from four steps to one,” a key consideration in high-density environments with multiple aircraft operating simultaneously.

The testing formed part of the second phase of the Korean ‘K-UAM Grand Challenge’, a government-led initiative launched in 2023 to support the commercialisation of so-called ‘flying taxis’ in the Korean market. Other consortium partners include Hanwha Systems, TMAP and Korea Airports Corporation.

Korean Air and KT had previously collaborated during the first (ground-based) phase of the project in April 2024, completing what Korean Air called the world’s “first comprehensive” urban air mobility operations demonstration. In December 2024, Californian eVTOL developer Joby became the first OEM to complete a variety of test missions in the K-UAM Grand Challenge using its proprietary aircraft.

Validation and testing of an optimum operating environment will be essential for Korean UAM aircraft. Last month, Korean Air announced it was exploring multiple use cases for Archer Aviation’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft. According to the U.S. company, this will see Korean Air exclusively use its aircraft for eVTOL services, although it had previously agreed a provisional strategic partnership with Hyundai-backed Supernal.