The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) has established a pilot operation model to launch an initial Urban Air Mobility (UAM) demonstration service in 2028 and is formally beginning a project to train specialized personnel.
The ministry said it has prepared a pilot operation model that specifies the operating conditions and safety standards needed to run the initial 2028 demonstration project. It is notable for being the first to define the standards required for early operations, including service types, operating conditions, aircraft and personnel requirements, vertiports, air traffic control systems, and insurance.
The model adopts a phased approach that prioritizes safety through harmonization with the existing aviation system.
Services will start with the tourism type (A→A), regional-link type (A→Bn), and airport-link type (A→B), which have simple operating conditions, but will be limited to designated demonstration zones. The tourism type is a circular service using a single vertiport, with the same departure and arrival points. The regional-link type is a service that connects transport-vulnerable areas such as islands and mountainous regions, linking one hub (A) with multiple living hubs (B1, B2, B3). The airport-link type is a service connecting airports with major urban hubs, running directly between airports and key city points.
Operations will be conducted with a pilot aboard, between sunrise and sunset, under conditions of visibility of 5km or more and a ceiling of 450m or higher. Only one aircraft will be allowed per corridor, with no more than 10 one-way trips per day. Corridors are limited to an altitude of 300 to 600m, a width of at least 600m, and a length of no more than 50km.
Aircraft are restricted to those that have completed a foreign Type Certificate (TC), a domestic Type Certificate Validation (TCV), and a standard airworthiness certificate. UAM transport operators must meet the mandatory requirements of at least one aircraft, at least one pilot and one mechanic each, capital of 750 million won, and an Air Operator Certificate (AOC).
Insurance is mandatory, requiring liability coverage of 150 million won for death and permanent disability, 30 million won for injury, and 1 billion won for property damage.
The ministry, together with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, will also launch a project to train Korea's first UAM pilots and mechanics in preparation for commercialization in 2028. The measure aims to reduce initial reliance on foreign specialists. The selection fields are piloting and maintenance, and training will be tailored separately for the public and private sectors.
Final selectees will receive support to enroll in specialized training programs run by global aircraft manufacturers and to obtain qualifications. The ministry plans to finalize detailed plans within this year, hold an open competition in the first half of next year, and pursue dispatch to aircraft manufacturers in the second half.
Hong Ji-sun, Second Vice Minister of MOLIT, said, "This pilot operation model and the first pilot and mechanic training project are significant in that they specify and concretely realize the standards for actual operations," adding, "We will make every effort to launch a UAM service that the public can use with peace of mind."
