Companies Sign MoU on May 8 to Co-Develop Future Air Mobility Aircraft With Supernal
(From left) Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon and KAI President Kim Jong-chul pose for a commemorative photo. (Source: KAI)
KAI announced on May 8 that it signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding for the Joint Development of Future Air Mobility Aircraft’ with Hyundai Motor Company at Hyundai Motor’s headquarters in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The signing ceremony was attended by 12 representatives from both companies, including KAI President Kim Jong-chul and Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon.
Under the agreement, KAI will pursue the joint design of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles with Supernal, Hyundai Motor Group’s U.S. subsidiary. The two companies also agreed to cooperate in commercializing the aviation electric powertrain currently under development by Hyundai Motor Group.
Both companies will also join forces in addressing aviation certification requirements with global market entry in mind. Drawing on the certification experience accumulated throughout its aircraft development processes, KAI plans to jointly respond to global aviation certification procedures alongside Hyundai Motor Group.
The framework for cooperation will be further defined as well. The two companies will operate a working group led by operational staff and a steering committee involving key executives, in order to support strategic planning and execution. Through this structure, they intend to identify new areas of collaboration across the broader future air mobility sector and expand the scope of their partnership.
KAI has built up its aircraft development and systems integration capabilities through the development of domestically produced aircraft, including the T-50, KF-21, and Surion. Since 2022, the company has also been pursuing the acquisition of core future air mobility technologies such as distributed electric propulsion, flight control software, and lightweight structures, as well as the independent development of a demonstrator model equipped with an AI pilot.
Hyundai Motor Group unveiled its urban air mobility vision at CES 2020, then established Supernal in 2021 to accelerate its efforts in the field. Leveraging its automotive manufacturing foundation and electric powertrain technology, the group is expanding its future mobility reach into the aviation domain.
KAI President Kim Jong-chul said, “If KAI’s fixed-wing and rotary-wing systems integration capabilities are combined with Hyundai Motor Group’s mass production systems and mobility ecosystem, we will be able to develop a K-AAM that leads the global market,” adding, “The cooperation between our two companies will serve as an important driving force in leading the global civilian mobility market.”
Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon said, “Our agreement with KAI, which leads Korea’s aerospace industry, will be a great asset in the development of future air mobility,” and added, “We will present safe and compelling future air mobility solutions to expand the horizons of mobility into the skies.”
Michael Herh
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