Hyundai Construction Officially Begins Development of Vertiport Design and Construction Technology

Participation in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport-Hosted Public-Private Joint Demonstration Project 'K-UAM Grand Challenge'

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Wanyong] Hyundai Engineering & Construction has officially begun developing design and construction technologies for vertiports (vertical takeoff and landing airports) by participating in the K-UAM (Korean Urban Air Mobility) Grand Challenge demonstration project hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

On the 22nd, Hyundai Engineering & Construction announced that it signed an agreement for integrated UAM operational demonstration at the ‘K-UAM Grand Challenge Phase 1 Demonstration Project Agreement Ceremony’ held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. Hyundai Motor Company formed a consortium with KT to participate in this demonstration project and plans to conduct demonstration flights in the first half of 2024.

Concept design image of the Korean-style vertiport announced by the Hyundai Engineering & Construction consortium.
[Photo provided by Hyundai Engineering & Construction]

The K-UAM Grand Challenge is a public-private joint demonstration project aimed at commercializing urban air mobility by 2025. It will proceed in two phases: Phase 1 will be conducted from August this year to December next year at the National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Site in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, targeting participating consortia; Phase 2 will be conducted in actual semi-urban and urban environments for consortia that pass Phase 1.

Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Hyundai Motor Company, and KT are responsible for vertiports, aircraft and operators, and traffic management respectively. The goal is to demonstrate integrated service operations across the entire UAM ecosystem, including the full passenger UAM usage process from boarding to disembarking, integrated mobility service platforms, transfer systems, and communication infrastructure.

In particular, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, responsible for vertiports, aims to derive optimized vertiport design plans linked to UAM services through this demonstration project by discovering design and construction technologies for areas such as the airside departure gate interior layout, security screening, and passenger terminals, and plans to establish a vertiport construction model feasible for semi-urban and urban areas in the future.

A Hyundai Engineering & Construction official said, “As many construction companies that have declared entry into the UAM industry are actively presenting visions and concepts for vertiports, it is now time to concretely prepare practical vertiport design and construction technologies. We plan to lead the future UAM infrastructure market in earnest starting with this demonstration project.”

Meanwhile, Hyundai Engineering & Construction signed a business agreement in 2021 with global leading companies representing each field?Hyundai Motor Company, Incheon International Airport Corporation, KT, and Korean Air?and continues close cooperation for the successful realization of K-UAM and ecosystem formation. It is also actively moving forward with vertiport commercialization by proposing Korean-style vertiport concept designs.