“Flying taxis,” also known as urban air vehicles (UAM), would use highly automated aircraft to transport passengers or cargo at low altitudes around suburban and urban areas. The operation of these vehicles would not require a runway.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will coordinate with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to conduct two phases of verification and safety assurance for the project in the second half of this year. The city will be responsible for selecting the operating company in phase 1. Other issues such as flight routes, vehicle safety regulations, flight connection network, noise pollution, etc. are expected to be examined in phase 2.
Seoul City will test a “flying taxi” model connecting the Yeouido and Jamsil districts. Photo: Yonhap
Several routes have been selected for the second phase of the test, including an 18-kilometer route connecting Gimpo International Airport with the western district of Yeouido, an 8-kilometer route between the eastern districts of Jamsil and Suseo in Seoul, and two routes in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon City in western Seoul. Seoul City is also in the process of searching for sites for UAM takeoff and landing sites, and plans to announce a UAM development plan later this year, outlining mid- to long-term UAM development goals.
South Korea is ambitious to officially put “flying taxis” into operation in urban areas in 2025. Previously, on September 14, 2022, the Korea Urban Air Transport Association K-UAM signed a partnership agreement with the Jeju provincial government to launch a flying taxi trial program on this southern resort island in 2025.
According to VNA/Tin Tuc Newspaper
Source link
Comment (0)