South Korean rotary operator and maintenance provider UI Helicopter has signed a memorandum of understanding with Eve Air Mobility in order to cultivate the AAM ecosystem in the region.

Through their combined expertise, Eve and UI Helicopter will collaborate to introduce eVTOL technical, operational and ecosystem requirements to the local government and industry in South Korea.

“Advanced air mobility has the potential to reinvent global mobility, particularly in the dense urban areas that need it most,” explains Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve. “We're proud to share Eve's resources in technical and ecosystem development with UI Helicopter to develop a technically rigorous AAM infrastructure.”

“South Korea has been a pioneer in laying the groundwork for urban air mobility; establishing a sustainable infrastructure for the industry to flourish is a vital next step,” adds UI Helicopter CEO Sungwieh Albert Rim. “With the right technical partner and UI Helicopter's longstanding relationship with South Korean policymakers, we look forward to unlocking the AAM use cases that most benefit us.”

The collaboration will begin by fielding Eve's urban air mobility market survey to gather initial intelligence supporting this process. The South Korean government has taken significant steps to advance urban air mobility through various initiatives, including the K-UAM Grand Challenge. In addition to Seoul, there exists considerable potential for AAM in rural regions of South Korea, serving as a vital means of enhancing connectivity and stimulating local economies.

Leveraging Eve's knowledge, UI will harness its local expertise to ensure collaboration and open dialogue with policy leaders as the two parties develop an AAM ecosystem that rigorously incorporates technical best practices and South Korea's distinct regulatory standards.