Seoul City Government Will Test Flying Transportation Vehicles Next Year

Illustration of the test of flying vehicles in Seoul, South Korea. (Screenshot of YouTube Channel Arirang News)

JAKARTA - The Seoul City Government, South Korea will conduct a test flight "flying vehicles" on routes between Yeouido and Jamsil next year, as part of a project to commercialize new means of transportation in urban areas around 2025, officials said.

Flying vehicles, known as urban air mobility (UAM), use highly automated aircraft to transport passengers or cargo at lower altitudes in urban areas and suburbs without requiring a runway.

South Korea is known to aim to use such vehicles in metropolitan areas around 2025.

The Seoul City Government together with South Korea's Ministry of Agrarian, Infrastructure and Transport will conduct a two-stage trial in the second half of this year, to verify and ensure the safety of the project, city officials said.

The city will conduct its first phase of open field study in the second half of 2023, select the desired project operator and launch a second phase of testing for the capital next year. Flight routes, vehicle security, flight communications networks, noise pollution and others will be the targets of trials in the second phase.

Several flight routes have been selected for the second phase of trials, including a distance of 18 kilometers between Gimpo International Airport to the western district of Yeouido and a 8 km long route between the southern districts of Jamsil and Suseo, both in Seoul. As well as two routes in the provinces of Gyeonggi and Incheon, the city to the west of Seoul.

The city is also in the process of searching for a location to host for vertiports, landing pads or take-offs for UAM vehicles.

The city plans to announce its UAM-related plans by the end of this year, detailing its medium and long-term goals in introducing UAM vehicles.