Korean Air said on the 3rd that it had completed phase two of the Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Grand Challenge demonstration project. It is the first case in Korea to verify that an integrated UAM operations system works stably in the skies over the capital area.

The phase two K-UAM Grand Challenge demonstration project ran for 12 days from on the 16th to the 31st of last month in the demonstration project zone along the Ara Waterway between Seo-gu and Gyeyang-gu, Incheon (airspace area 44.57 ㎢).

Gil Gi-nam (front row, eighth from left), deputy director of the Aircraft Technology Research Institute at Korean Air, and officials from the five companies of the K-UAM One Team pose for a commemorative photo after completing Phase 2 demonstration operations. /Courtesy of Korean Air

Korean Air, Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), and KT simultaneously obtained the country's first UAM traffic management demonstration operator status on the 16th of last month. The company took part in this project as the lead for UAM traffic management and flight control.

Korean Air carried out tasks including: ▲ reducing risks from low-altitude flights in urban areas ▲ transferring mutual control authority with other traffic management systems to operate multiple operators and multiple routes ▲ ensuring operational stability in abnormal situations through simulations of unexpected scenarios.

A Korean Air official said, "By applying our long-standing know-how in operating aircraft, we proved the performance of the self-developed 'ACROSS (Air Control & Routing Orchestrated Skyway System).' ACROSS monitors UAM flight paths in real time to optimize traffic flow and provides alternate routes in emergencies, efficiently managing complex operating schedules."

Korean Air plans to continue cooperation to achieve the goal of commercializing UAM in Korea and contribute to building the UAM ecosystem. Through a research and development project led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), the company plans to carry out advancement work, including automating the ACROSS system.

Meanwhile, the K-UAM Grand Challenge is a government-level demonstration project implemented to verify operational stability and establish standards with the goal of commercializing UAM in Korea. Korean Air is part of the K-UAM One Team consortium alongside Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), KT, Hyundai Motor, and Hyundai E&C.

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