Hyundai partners with KAI to develop future air mobility
The two parties will leverage Hyundai Motor Group’s expertise in electrified aviation powertrain development and Korea Aerospace Industries’s aircraft airframe development capabilities to jointly develop and mass produce competitive future air mobility aircraft.
Hyundai Motor Group and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop future Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) solutions. The collaboration between the two parties will focus on the joint development of an AAM aircraft, based on electrified aviation powertrains, Hyundai said in a press release.
“Our partnership with Korea Aerospace Industries, a leader in Korea’s aerospace industry, represents a significant step forward in our efforts to develop future air mobility solutions,” said Gang Hyun Seo, President and Head of Corporate Planning Office of Hyundai Motor Group. “By introducing safe and efficient Advanced Air Mobility offerings, we aim to expand the boundaries of mobility into the skies.”
“By combining Korea Aerospace Industries’ integrated capabilities in fixed-wing and rotorcraft systems with Hyundai Motor Group’s large-scale manufacturing expertise and comprehensive mobility ecosystem, we expect to develop K-AAM solutions capable of competing at the global level,” said Jong-chool Kim, President and CEO of Korea Aerospace Industries. “This collaboration marks an important milestone in our ambition to emerge as a game changer in the global civilian mobility market and to contribute to Korea’s rise as a leading aerospace nation.”
Under the agreement, the two parties will leverage Hyundai Motor Group’s expertise in electrified aviation powertrain development and KAI’s aircraft airframe development capabilities to jointly develop and mass produce competitive future air mobility aircraft.
The collaboration extends beyond the sharing of technological and human resources to include broad cooperation across supply chains, certification processes, and global customer networks, the press release said.
Supernal, Hyundai Motor Group’s US-based Advanced Air Mobility affiliate, and KAI will jointly develop the AAM aircraft. Separately, Hyundai Motor Group and KAI will collaborate on the commercialization of electrified aviation powertrains being developed by Hyundai Motor Group’s Aviation Powertrain Sub-Division. In addition, the two companies plan to identify new areas of cooperation across the broader aviation industry and further expand their collaboration.
