OIKN Targets IKN Flying Taxi Trial In Samarinda In July 2024

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

The Capital Archipelago Authority (OIKN) targets trials or Proof-of-Concept (POC) of flying taxis for IKN in Samarinda City, East Kalimantan.

"There is a Hyundai from South Korea (South Korea) that wants to be tested in July regarding the POC of flying taxis," said IKN Deputy for Green Transformation and Digital Authority Mohammed Ali Berawi in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Monday, May 27.

Ali said the trial in July, Hyundai will involve the Samarinda City Government (Pemkot) to use Aji Pangeran Tumenggung Pranoto Airport regarding a test flight taxi.

OIKN itself last year tested a flying taxi at Budiarto Curug Airport, Tangerang, where the test-tested flying taxi came from the Chinese EHang company with a capacity of two people.

"If what will be tested in Samarinda, the flying taxi is for five people, so the capacity is greater," said Ali.

He said this flying taxi has the potential to become a mode of public transportation, besides that flying taxis also use batteries as a source of energy where this battery can allow flying taxis for one air to 100 km.

"So if you friends want to go to Balikpapan, East Kalimantan or Palu, Central Sulawesi no longer needs to stop in Makassar or Jakarta on conventional flights, but you can go straight to your destination using flying taxis," he said.

OIKN itself is conducting evaluations, discussing and carrying out economical calculations so that flying taxis at IKN can be affordable for the wider community.

"What is certain is that economical calculations are important so that the costs do not burden the community. We will definitely evaluate and discuss this in order for the public interest," said Ali.

Apart from Hyundai, there is also a Boeing Wisk from the United States which also develops flying taxis with drone platforms and is interested in conducting trials at IKN.

According to Ali, this flying taxi around the world is still in the development stage so there is no such thing as commercialization.

This is because flying taxis still require the development of technology and rules for utilizing air space, and the rest of the world is still in the process of being related to these two things.

"In Indonesia, we have created a technical team between Hyundai and BUMN PT. Dirgantara Indonesia (Persero) or PTDI, so that in the future we can develop flying taxis," said Ali.

Ali added that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had been carried out between Hyundai and PTDI. This PTDI is expected to receive a transfer of knowledge so that it can develop flying taxis in the future.