Hyundai, KAI join forces on future air mobility aircraft

May 10 (Asia Today) -- Hyundai Motor Group and Korea Aerospace Industries have agreed to jointly develop next-generation advanced air mobility aircraft, combining automotive electrification technology with aerospace manufacturing capabilities.

Hyundai Motor Group said Saturday the companies signed a memorandum of understanding at Hyundai Motor and Kia headquarters in Seoul on Thursday to cooperate in developing future air mobility aircraft powered by electric aviation powertrains.

The signing ceremony was attended by Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon and KAI President Kim Jong-chul, along with other executives.

Under the agreement, the companies will combine Hyundai's aviation electrification technology with KAI's aircraft systems engineering expertise to develop and mass-produce advanced air mobility aircraft.

Related

• Hanwha expands from defense into space with 'Korean SpaceX' vision
• South Korea's KF-21 clears combat certification milestone
• K-defense faces fear of N. Korean drone attacks as shield lags behind sword

The partnership will also expand cooperation into supply chains, certification and customer networks in addition to technology and workforce sharing.

Hyundai's U.S.-based advanced air mobility subsidiary Supernal and KAI will jointly develop aircraft platforms, while Hyundai Motor and Kia's aviation powertrain division will work toward commercialization of electric aviation propulsion systems currently under development.

Hyundai Motor Group has been strengthening its competitiveness in batteries, motors and electrification systems using technologies developed through its electric vehicle business.

KAI, meanwhile, has been accelerating expansion into the civilian aviation market based on its experience developing military aircraft and satellites.

A Hyundai Motor Group official said the partnership would help expand the boundaries of mobility into air transportation by developing safe and attractive future mobility systems.

A KAI official said the combination of KAI's fixed-wing and rotorcraft integration capabilities with Hyundai's mass production systems and mobility ecosystem could position South Korea as a leader in the global advanced air mobility market.

The companies described the partnership as part of efforts to develop a "K-AAM" ecosystem, referring to Korean advanced air mobility technologies.

Separately, Supernal recently appointed Farhan Gandhi, an expert in vertical takeoff and landing aircraft aerodynamics with more than 30 years of rotorcraft research experience, as chief technology officer.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260510010002011