UI Helijet, South Korea’s comprehensive aviation mobility solutions provider specializing in helicopters, has signed a strategic partnership agreement with AutoFlight.
Founded in 1961, UI Helijet is a pioneering force in South Korea’s aviation industry. It is renowned for its extensive experience and expertise in public services, centered around helicopters. Through this agreement, UI Helijet aims to accelerate its expansion into the future aviation mobility sector.
A UI Helijet representative stated, “Over the years, we have built extensive operational expertise in public aviation services, including the operation of air ambulance and wildfire surveillance helicopters. Additionally, we manage a 115,700 m² MRO center equipped for flight testing, aircraft maintenance, and overhauls, providing a strong foundation for our expansion into the UAM/AAM industry.”
AutoFlight’s Senior Vice President Kellen Xie commented, “South Korea is one of the most proactive countries in the urban and regional air mobility industry. We look forward to creating an innovative public UAM/AAM service model by collaborating with a remarkable aviation expert like UI Helijet.”
AutoFlight, based in Germany and China, has developed the 5-seater eVTOL aircraft “Prosperity I,” which has a cruising speed of 200 km/h and a flight range of 250 km on a single charge. In April of this year, it received Type Certificate for its 2-ton-class cargo eVTOL from China’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC), and it plans to obtain certification for its passenger aircraft in the recent future, followed by full-scale commercialization. Additionally, in August, AutoFlight secured hundreds of millions of dollars in investment from Fortune Global 500 battery developer CATL, allowing it to focus its efforts on eVTOL development.
Both companies are building a long-term partnership to jointly respond to the rapidly evolving aerospace mobility industry. They plan to explore ways to introduce AutoFlight’s eVTOL to the Korean market, leveraging UI Helijet’s extensive aviation operations experience and MRO capabilities.
UI Helijet Representative Director Gun Chang stated, “Although we are not directly involved in the government-led UAM/AAM projects at the moment, no other country is as proactive as the Korean government in this field. We hope to contribute to the development of the aviation industry by participating in government UAM/AAM projects, utilizing UI Helijet’s expertise in air transport operations, MRO, airworthiness for foreign aircraft, and pilot and maintenance technician training.”
