KT (030200.KS) has completed a public urban air mobility (UAM) demonstration in Incheon's island areas, combining artificial intelligence-based traffic management with a hybrid aviation network built on 5G and satellite communications. It is the country's first public UAM demonstration in an island region, pursued jointly by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, local government and private companies.
KT said on the 21st that it had completed the public UAM demonstration on routes linking Incheon's Yeongjongdo and Deokjeokdo islands, working with Incheon, the Korea Aerospace Industry-Academia Convergence Institute and the K-UAM One Team. The K-UAM One Team includes KT, Hyundai Motor (005380.KS), Hyundai Engineering & Construction (000720.KS), Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korean Air (003490.KS).
The demonstration mapped out UAM flight routes aimed at improving transport access for island residents and verified operational feasibility through actual flights. It also tested a data-sharing framework through which relevant agencies exchange the information needed for safe operations.
KT linked its in-house "UAM agent-based traffic management AX platform" to the 5G-satellite hybrid aviation network and the urban air data-sharing framework. The agent uses AI to analyze flight plans, aircraft positions, weather data and vertiport operating status, then proposes departure and arrival times and lays out standard operating procedures and response measures for each situation. It was applied across the entire traffic management process, from flight planning through landing.
Communications stability over island and maritime stretches was also verified. KT built a hybrid system pairing a dedicated UAM 5G aviation network in the 800 megahertz band with satellite links. In tests conducted with KT SAT, the system recorded a 100% success rate in transmitting aircraft position data to the traffic management platform across the full flight path. Voice quality held up over open water as well, allowing real-time communication between pilots and traffic management staff.
"This demonstration in Incheon's island areas is a meaningful result that confirms the potential of a public UAM operating model for solving regional transport problems," said Won Man-ho, head of KT's AX Platform Division. "We will lead the expansion of public UAM services and the commercialization of UAM in Korea."