[Sky Taxi Takes Off] Jamsil~Gimpo Airport for 130,000 Won

Gimpo International Airport to Jamsil 73-Minute Distance
Expected Arrival in 12-20 Minutes
Seamless Experience Linked with Mobility App

2-5 Person Aircraft Mainstream... 5-Seater Likely
Initial Fare Estimated at 4,700 KRW per km
Unmanned Operation Expected to Reduce Cost by Over 40%

[Asia Economy Reporters Minyoung Cha and Seungjin Lee] #. In 2027, Mr. Shin, a man in his 50s living in Jamsil, Seoul, had an urgent business trip to China scheduled in the morning and searched for the 'shortest time' route to Gimpo International Airport. The mobility application (app) recommended a plan to take a taxi first and then board Urban Air Mobility (UAM), a 'flying taxi.' After making a reservation, he immediately took an app-linked taxi and headed to the Jamsil Vertiport, 10 minutes away. Even after boarding the UAM aircraft, he communicated with the local Chinese site and checked the factory situation. What would normally take about 70 minutes by car was completed in about 20 minutes, arriving at the airport before 9 a.m. The fare of 130,000 won was automatically paid, so there was no need to check separately.

73-minute distance reduced to under 20 minutes

Although there are differences depending on the aircraft, the section from Gimpo International Airport to Jamsil, which takes 73 minutes by car (34 km by road), is expected to be shortened to 12 to 20 minutes (27 km in a straight line) when using UAM. Although the expected time varies by company, it is reduced to less than one-third. According to Joby Aviation, it can fly about 240 km at a maximum speed of 322 km/h. Joby states that a trip that would take 49 minutes by car from downtown New York to JFK International Airport can be completed in 7 minutes. The top speed of Volocopter’s two-seater air taxi is 110 km/h.

Likely 4-passenger capacity like a taxi

The most notable aircraft type is the vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) type UAM, mainly with 5 seats. Joby Aviation, which is progressing fastest in certification standards among aircraft manufacturers, has a 5-seat aircraft. Vertical Aerospace also has a 5-seat aircraft, and Hyundai Motor Company’s recently unveiled UAM interior concept is also 5-seater. On the other hand, Volocopter and China’s EHang are promoting multicopter-type 2-seater aircraft. However, since UAM aircraft standards have not been established, the future form cannot be definitively determined. According to initial UAM commercialization plans, until the transition to unmanned systems, human pilots will be included, allowing 4 passengers plus 1 pilot. A telecommunications industry official said, "It will not be easy to carry many passengers at once from the start due to battery and motor issues," adding, "Joby aims for profitability in 2025 with 4 passengers (excluding the pilot), so 4-passenger capacity is expected to be more realistic."

Initial fares around 4,700 won per km

Interest in fare systems is also high. The fare forecast announced by Uber’s air taxi division, Elevate, at the 2019 summit is still considered the standard. Uber proposed an initial commercial fare of $5.73 per mile, about one-third of the existing helicopter fare. It was expected that as utilization and occupancy rates increase, the fare could be lowered to $1.86 per mile. Considering that 1 mile equals 1.60934 km, the fare per km is 4,658 won. The fare for Gimpo International Airport to Jamsil (27 km) is estimated at about 130,000 won. One domestic consortium estimated an even cheaper initial fare of 120,000 won (3,000 won/km) for a 40 km flight, and 52,000 won (1,300 won/km) during the mature autonomous flight phase. A UAM consortium official said, "We will launch a fare system at a reasonable level not much different from public transportation," adding, "We expect the fare system to be completed first in the U.S. and will refer to that."