The service will leverage SKT’s mobile communication network and Joby’s electric vertical takeoff and landing aircrafts
SK Telecom (SKT) has partnered with U.S. aerospace company Joby Aviation to establish an air taxi service in South Korea. The service will leverage SKT’s mobile communication network and Joby’s electric vertical takeoff and landing aircrafts (eVTOLs) to advance the country’s urban air mobility (UAM) — an ecosystem made up of personal air vehicles and infrastructure.
On a single charge, Joby’s eVTOL can reach a maximum range of 241 kilometers (150 miles) and can transport a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 321 km per hour.
“By joining forces with Joby, a global leader in this field, we expect to accelerate our journey towards the era of Urban Air Mobility and lead the way on introducing this exciting new technology,” SKT CEO Ryu Young-sang said in a statement.
SKT has been committed to utilizing its telecommunications, autonomous driving, precise positioning and security experienced to transform into a “connected intelligence” leader that connects physical elements such as UAM aircraft, vertiports and ground transportation.
In service of this mission, SKT is a member of South Korea’s 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.
“With more than 42 million people living in urban areas, South Korea offers a remarkable opportunity for Joby to make air travel a part of daily life, helping people to save time while reducing their carbon footprint,” said Joby CEO JoeBen Bevirt.
The pair will also leverage the UT ride hailing service to provide multi-modal journeys by integrating both ground and air travel. A joint venture between SKT and Uber in 2021, UT combines SK’s T Map platform and Uber’s ride sharing technology.
