SK Telecom, Joby Aviation sign a deal to build flying cars

SK Telecom and Joby Aviation, a Californian venture-backed aerospace company, have revealed their partnership deal this week, and they are joining forces to develop flying cars. The latter is an air taxi startup firm, and along with SKT, they are aiming to expand their footing in urban air mobility services or UAM.

According to Yonhap News Agency, SK Telecom, the leading wireless service provider in South Korea, said it has signed an agreement with Joby Aviation so they can form a regular consultative team that will help them bolster cooperation in bringing air taxis to the country.

Another one of the goals for this new partnership is to create "Mobility as a Service" (MaaS) in S. Korea. This type of service will offer various things to customers, including connecting cars, connecting car platforms, and other business-to-customer services. It was added that the deal is also expected to scale up S. Korea's long-term plan to commercialize UAM services by 2025 and help reduce urban traffic congestion.

"By joining forces with Joby, a global leader in this field, we expect to accelerate our journey towards the era of Urban Air Mobility and lead the way on introducing this exciting new technology," SK Telecom's chief executive officer, Ryu Young Sang, said in a press release. "Collaborating with leading global companies is essential to securing leadership in future industries, which we are confident will be driven by the growth of UAM, autonomous driving, and robots."

Pulse News reported that SK Telecom is planning to make use of Joby Aviation's knowledge and know-how in air flight testing since it will be able to experience this with NASA at the Korean UAM Grand Challenge that will take place next year. The event is set to be hosted by the country's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport or MOLIT.

JoeBen Bevirt, the founder and CEO of Joby, also commented on its partnership with SK Telecom. He said, "We are thrilled to be partnering with the team at SKT who brings a wealth of relevant experience and technology to the table. With more than 42 million people living in urban areas, South Korea offers a remarkable opportunity for Joby to make air travel a part of daily life, helping people to save time while reducing their carbon footprint."