[Courtesy of SK Telecom]
SK Telecom (SKT) said it has secured an advantageous position on the introduction of Joby's eVTOL in South Korea. The deal followed a strategic partnership signed by the two companies in February 2022 to cooperate in urban air mobility (UAM), which is an ecosystem covering personal air vehicles and infrastructure such as a new navigation system, take-off and landing fields and charging technologies.
As a member of UAM Team Korea, a public-private consultative body, to commercialize manned drone taxis in 2025, remote-controlled vehicles in 2030 and a fully autonomous service in 2035, SKT is developing a mobile communication network for air taxis. SKT will seek to utilize Joby's eVTOL for tourism and emergency use by central and local governments.
Joby's eVTOL with a maximum range of 241 kilometers (150 miles) on a single charge can transport a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 321 km per hour. SKT and Joby have agreed to cooperate in all fields, including aircraft and mobility as a service, to introduce emissions-free aerial ridesharing services to cities and communities across South Korea.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
