South Korea Launches eVTOL Pilot Program to Pave the Way for UAM Commercialization by 2028

According to the Seoul Economic Daily, South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) has established a pilot operating model targeting the launch of initial Urban Air Mobility (UAM) demonstration services in 2028, while simultaneously kicking off a dedicated professional training program.

Three Initial Trial Use Cases

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yoon-deok unveiled the plan at the 2026 Drone & UAM Expo, outlining three initial trial applications:

• Single-vertiport tourism flights: Scenic tourism routes operating from a single vertiport base
• Remote area connectivity: Scheduled flights linking remote islands or isolated destinations
• City center-to-hub airport corridor network: Routes connecting downtown vertiports to major hub airports

Participation Requirements and Flight Restrictions

Aircraft wishing to participate must hold a foreign Type Certificate (TC), a domestic Type Certificate Validation (TCV), and a standard airworthiness certificate. Aircraft that have yet to complete TCV may apply to conduct demonstration or test flights following a verification process.

Operational rules include the following restrictions:

• A pilot must be on board at all times
• Day-only operations (sunrise to sunset)
• Weather minimums: visibility of at least 5 km and a cloud base of at least 450 metres
• One aircraft per flight corridor at a time
• Maximum of 10 one-way flights per day

Planned flight path parameters are as follows:

• Altitude band: 300 to 600 metres
• Corridor width: at least 600 metres
• Maximum one-way distance: 50 km

Participants will utilize existing Air Traffic Management (ATM) infrastructure and airport facilities.

Mandatory Insurance Requirements

The Seoul Economic Daily notes that insurance coverage is mandatory, with the following minimum compensation levels:

• Death and permanent disability: KRW 150 million
• Injury: KRW 30 million
• Property damage: KRW 1 billion

Workforce Training Program Launched Simultaneously

MOLIT will partner with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (KOTSA) to launch South Korea's first UAM pilot and maintenance technician training program, aimed at meeting the 2028 commercialization target. The initiative is designed to reduce early dependence on foreign specialists, covering both flight operations and maintenance, with separate curricula tailored for the public and private sectors.

Image credit: Shutterstock (Seoul)

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