▲SKT CEO Yoo Young-sang (left) and Joby Aviation CEO Joven Vibert (right) boarding a UAM aircraft at the Joby Aviation production facility in Marina, California, USA last month


SKT Communications, Platform, and Services, Joby Aircraft Development Capabilities
“Expecting to contribute to the development of the domestic ecosystem through cooperation”

SK Telecom (CEO Yoo Young-sang) has signed a strategic agreement with global UAM aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation to take the lead in the future UAM industry.

SKT announced on the 7th that key executives, including CEO Yoo Young-sang, visited Joby Aviation's production facility in Marina, California, USA last month and met with CEO and founder Joben Vibert and signed a strategic collaboration agreement.

SKT and Joby Aviation have decided to form a regular consultative body on UAM business led by the CEOs of both companies and to begin full-scale mutual cooperation across all areas, including aircraft and service platforms (MaaS, Mobility as a Service).

SKT is promoting the UAM business based on its technological capabilities in communications, autonomous driving, precision positioning, and security. We are accelerating innovation to implement 'meta connectivity' that transcends spatial constraints by expanding the scope of services such as AI, mobility, and OTT provided on the ground to the sky.

SKT plans to lead K-UAM by incorporating Joby Aviation’s air taxi demonstration experience into its ICT infrastructure, including its telecommunications and TMAP platforms.

Joby Aviation holds the record for the longest flight for an eVTOL (vertical takeoff and landing aircraft) used in UAM. It also has the history of being the first to receive G-1 certification, a commercial flight permit, from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

SKT expects that the experience and know-how gained from NASA's demonstration test (AAM National Campaign) in which Joby Aviation participated will be of great help to the 'Korean Urban Air Mobility Grand Challenge' demonstration project to be promoted in Korea next year.

SKT said that it launched a UAM business promotion task force directly under the CEO at the end of last year and is conducting research and investment in parallel, and as an original member of the government-led 'UAM Team Korea', it is working with major domestic companies to secure global competitiveness in the UAM business.

“We expect to create great synergy with SKT, which has extensive experience in building and operating advanced digital infrastructure,” said Joby Aviation CEO Joven Vibert. “We plan to contribute to helping UAM quickly become a part of everyday life in South Korea, home to an urban population of 42 million.”

SKT CEO Yoo Young-sang said, “In order to lead future industries centered around UAM, autonomous driving, and robots, extreme cooperation with global top players is essential,” and added, “We plan to continue various efforts to lead the future UAM industry based on SKT’s technology and services.”