Seoul to conduct test flights of 'Flying vehicles' next year

SEOUL, South Korea - The Seoul city government will conduct test flights of "flying vehicles" on a route between Yeouido and Jamsil next year as part of a project to commercialise new means of transportation in urban areas, officials said Thursday.

Flying vehicles, known as urban air mobility (UAM), use highly automated aircraft for passenger or cargo transport at lower altitudes within urban and suburban areas without the necessity of runways.

South Korea aims to put such vehicles into service in metropolitan areas around 2025, reported Yonhap news agency.

The Seoul city government, together with the Land Ministry, will carry out a two-stage demonstration test in the second half of this year to verify and ensure the safety of the project, city officials said.

The city will conduct the first-stage study in open terrain in the second half of 2023, select preferred project operators and launch the second-stage test for the capital area next year.

Flight routes, vehicle safety, aviation communication networks, noise pollution and others will be subject to the test in the second stage.

Several flight routes have been selected for the second-stage test, including an 18-km distance between Gimpo International Airport to the western district of Yeouido and an 8-km route between the southern districts of Jamsil and Suseo, both in Seoul, as well as two routes each in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, a city west of Seoul.

The city is also currently in the process of finding locations to host vertiports, landing or takeoff platforms for UAM vehicles. - BERNAMA-YONHAP