The first demonstrator and flight tests in 2028. Commercialization in 2031, and the ambitious goal of selling 23,000 units by 2050

KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries), is participating in the Korea Future Mobility Expo 2024 where this year it has also presented its program for a future AAV (Advanced Air Vehicle). A mean of transport that redefines urban and regional air mobility with automation, flight and green propulsion systems. The Korea Future Mobility Expo 2024 is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Daegu Metropolitan City, South Korea, and is the representative exhibition of Korean mobility held from October 23 to 26.

At this year's exhibition, KAI also showed a 1:4 scale model of its future AAV E2X demonstrator (modern and elegant passenger aircraft eVtol), and an AAV E2X Air Cargo model, also under development for both civil and military use, as part of a national air mobility program that does not impact the ecosystem.

The basic AAV demonstrator project is currently under development, with the goal of completing it by 2025. In March, KAI invested 55.3 billion won for the first phase of the project, out of a total development cost of 150 billion won. "As a two-phase project, the demonstrator development is expected to be completed in 2028 through the production of the first demonstrator aircraft and test flight. After that, after obtaining FAA certification in Korea and the United States, KAI plans to commercialize the aircraft in 2031, with the ambitious goal of selling 23,000 units by 2050".

Advanced Air Mobility, KAI explains, is a future air mobility concept that includes UAM (Urban Air Mobility), which is mainly used for short-distance transportation, and RAM (Regional Air Mobility), which is used for long-distance transportation. Kai, together with Hanwha Aerospace, and Daegu regional mobility specialists Sambo Motors and Pyeonghwa Valeo, is working on an electric motor project for AAM on behalf of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and National Energy.

Korea Aerospace Industries President Kang Koo-young said: "Our AAV concept is a set of cutting-edge technologies that encompasses KAI's know-how in fixed-wing, rotary-wing and civil airframes. But the AAV will change the transportation paradigm of the future and become a key means of transportation on the battlefields of the future as well".