Hanwha Systems to Establish Urban Air Mobility Service Corporation in the US Within This Year

Urban air mobility vehicle Butterfly developed by Hanwha Systems. Photo by Hanwha Systems

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Kim Yeon-cheol, CEO of Hanwha Systems, said on the 10th, "The biggest plan this year is to establish an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) service corporation in California, USA."

At the keynote speech of the 2021 Seoul Smart Mobility Expo (SSME2021) held at the Culture Depot in Mapo-gu, Seoul, CEO Kim stated, "This is to prepare for UAM standardization and services in the US, which will be the largest market in the future."

UAM is an aviation business utilizing three-dimensional transportation means emerging as an alternative to saturated ground transportation networks, commonly referred to as flying cars or air taxis. It is one of the new businesses promoted by Hanwha Group.

CEO Kim said, "The promotion of UAM service business centered on Korea and the US will become a central axis for leading the global market in the future." He added, "Hanwha Systems will make bold investments starting this year, secure concrete results next year, and confirm development potential. We will develop core technologies with specific plans and rapid execution and also make strategic investments."

At this event, Hanwha Systems exhibited the full-scale model of the air mobility aircraft 'Butterfly,' jointly developed with the US company Overair, and a model of an urban airport for air taxis. The Butterfly is an urban air transportation vehicle capable of traveling at a maximum speed of 320 km/h. Hanwha Systems is preparing for a pilot operation on the Seoul-Gimpo route in 2025.