Skyports, UI Helicopter, and BETA Technologies Partner to Advance South Korea's AAM Industry

Skyports, UI Helicopter, and BETA Technologies Partner to Advance South Korea's AAM Industry

Skyports Infrastructure, UI Helicopter, and BETA Technologies have established a formal strategic partnership to lay the groundwork for commercial Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) services in South Korea.

MoU Signed at K-UAM Confex 2026

The partnership was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on July 15, 2026, at K-UAM Confex 2026 in Seoul. The agreement brings together three core pillars — aircraft manufacturing, local operational expertise, and vertiport infrastructure development — with the stated goal of supporting the South Korean government's plan to launch commercial AAM services by 2029.

UI Helicopter Commits to Up to 20 BETA Aircraft

Under the terms of the MoU, UI Helicopter has committed to purchasing up to 20 BETA aircraft, spanning both the ALIA CTOL (conventional takeoff and landing) and ALIA VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) variants, with initial deliveries planned from 2029 onward. UI Helicopter brings nearly four decades of helicopter maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) experience and is actively expanding into the AAM sector through its unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) division.

Skyports to Lead Jeju Island Vertiport Network

Skyports Infrastructure will be responsible for site assessment, vertiport planning and development, and the deployment of charging infrastructure using BETA's rapid-charging system. The company has already begun preliminary work with the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province government on a vertiport network for Jeju Island — anticipated to become South Korea's first commercially operational vertiport network.

BETA Technologies Brings Proven ALIA Aircraft Family

BETA Technologies' ALIA aircraft family has accumulated more than 160,000 nautical miles of flight testing. The CTOL variant is currently advancing through FAA type certification, while the VTOL variant continues flight testing. This dual-track strategy allows initial operations to begin using existing airport infrastructure while the dedicated vertiport network is progressively built out.

Building a Complete eVTOL Ecosystem

The three-way collaboration represents a comprehensive effort to establish the full ecosystem required for electric air taxi services, aligning closely with South Korea's ambition to become a global leader in AAM and aviation. By integrating the capabilities of an aircraft manufacturer, a local operator, and an infrastructure developer, the partnership provides a strong foundation for the commercialization of AAM in South Korea.

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