Seoul to begin UAM demonstration services in 2025

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will officially begin the demonstration of the urban air mobility service -- or transportation system that uses aircraft to move people and cargo within urban areas -- by 2025, according to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Monday.

During the city government’s conference on new technologies such as UAM, artificial intelligence and quantum technology, Oh announced the city government’s upcoming plans to officially launch the future public transportation service, also known as S-UAM, over Seoul by 2040 at the latest.

“After beginning demonstration services in 2025, the city government aims to commercialize the UAM services by 2030 and build UAM networks after 2035,” said Oh on Monday. “The goal is to ultimately become a world-class, three-dimensional transportation city.”

Prior to beginning the project officially, Oh announced that the city government will build four vertiport facilities -- which are designated facilities that are ideal for vertical takeoff and landing operations like UAM -- by 2030. The four places include Yeouido and Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul, as well as Suseo and Jamsil in southern Seoul.

Oh added that two UAM routes going to and from Korea International Exhibition Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province to Gimpo International Airport and Yeouido Park, as well as another route going to and from Jamsil to Suseo Station will be specifically focused on during the demonstration period in 2025. Overall operational safety conditions, such as aircraft as well as air traffic control, will be verified before the commercialization phase.

During the initial commercialization phase scheduled to take place from 2026 to 2030, the city government added that trial operations will take place focused on Yeouido as a base.

The UAM test route will circulate the entire Han River area while the vertiport at Gimpo International Airport will also be tested to see whether it can also serve as a transportation route not just serve as a different public transportation method but also as a route to solve medical and tourism purposes.

From 2030 to 2035, Oh added that UAM routes that connect the capital city with other cities in the Greater Seoul area, which includes Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, will also be built. After 2035, the city government looks forward to having more routes that are tailored to meet different commuting demands.

“Once the S-UAM system is completed, the city expects to dramatically improve connectivity between different cities (surrounding Seoul) that goes beyond the conventional transportation methods that are limited to those above ground or underground,” said Oh.

For example, a 25-kilometer section between Pangyo in Seongnam and Gwanghwamun in central Seoul takes about an hour via public transportation or car. However, through the UAM service, one can travel the same route in 15 minutes, according to the city government.

With transit time within the Greater Seoul area drastically reduced, the city government added that it anticipates an annual economic impact of approximately 2.2 trillion won ($1.57 billion), while also generating about 4 trillion won in the transportation market within the Greater Seoul area. The construction of vertiports in Seoul alone, is expected to contribute around 1.2 trillion won also, according to the city.

Meanwhile, the city government added that it will also introduce an integrated mobility service that allows commuters to conveniently access the UAM service by booking and paying for their ride as well as being guided about their route through a single platform.

Through the integrated service, passengers will be able to freely board and transfer between various modes of public transportation, including UAM, buses, subways as well as personal mobility devices at vertiports. To ensure safety and comfort, the city also plans to establish its own operational safety system for the UAM service, which will monitor key data such as air communication, wind speed and radar information during takeoff and landing, while also implementing emergency response measures during emergencies such as establishing emergency landing sites other than the vertiports.