[Book Sip] Invest in Next-Generation Advanced Transportation Systems: Future Mobility UAM

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of the book itself, while others instantly resonate with the reader’s heart, creating a connection with the book. Here, we excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from the book. - Editor’s note

UAM (Urban Air Mobility) refers to a new concept of air transportation system that operates within urban areas using aircraft for the purpose of transporting passengers or cargo, integrated with other modes of transportation. It does not simply refer to the aircraft flying in the sky, but encompasses the entire industrial ecosystem including related infrastructure, services, and operational systems. It is a new type of transportation system, like a taxi, where authorized transport operators use the sky to enable faster travel. The book contains information about what UAM is, why UAM is needed, how our lives will change once UAM is commercialized, and details related to UAM development?covering topics readers are likely curious about.

Because UAM is often compared to an ‘air taxi,’ people might misunderstand that the payment methods or boarding procedures are the same as those of the taxis we currently use. To clarify, the two will be different. First, regarding fares: taxis charge based on distance regardless of the number of passengers, but UAM will likely charge per seat. This is similar to how we currently use airplanes or trains. Also, like Uber’s ride-hailing service, the fare system will fluctuate depending on supply and demand. Just like airlines, UAM operators will need to increase occupancy rates to improve profitability.

Is it easy to install vertiports on rooftops higher than surrounding buildings? While securing ingress and egress corridors may be easy, securing sufficient area will not be. For commercial vertiports to operate efficiently, at least two FAFOs and five parking pads are required. The area needed is about 5,500㎡, which is difficult to secure on the rooftop of a high-rise building. As a solution, Kogan, an American architectural design firm, proposed building vertiports over highways or train stations passing through urban areas. This has the advantage of setting eVTOL ingress and egress corridors over highways or railways, and it is easy to expand if demand increases. Another advantage is the high accessibility to cities with strong demand. I believe this idea can be sufficiently utilized in Seoul as well.

Invest in Future Mobility UAM | Written by Lee Jaegwang | Kyunghyang BP | 201 pages | 15,000 KRW