SK Telecom and Daegu Metropolitan City have joined hands to establish a leading city for UAM.

SK Telecom announced on the 27th that it is cooperating with the 'K-UAM Dream Team' consortium, formed with SKT, Korea Airports Corporation, Hanwha Systems, and Tmap Mobility, through a business agreement with Daegu City.

Daegu City announced that through this agreement, it plans to promote various services and infrastructure projects necessary for UAM demonstration and pilot projects.

The 'K-UAM Dream Team' consortium and Daegu City are proceeding with commercial UAM services in downtown Daegu through a three-stage implementation plan of demonstration, pilot city, and commercialization. The goal is to expand regional air mobility services connecting downtown Daegu and the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport by 2030.

The consortium expects that Daegu City's UAM project will serve as a catalyst for innovating overall transportation in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region, centered around the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport, as well as providing urban services.

Meanwhile, the 'K-UAM Dream Team' is a consortium launched in 2021 by SK Telecom, Korea Airports Corporation, and Hanwha Systems to build a UAM ecosystem, and last April it included the Korea Transport Institute and the Korea Meteorological Industry & Technology Institute.

SKT is responsible for the overall operation of UAM services and UAM-specialized air network infrastructure, while TMAP Mobility is developing a Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform that links UAM with ground transportation. Korea Airports Corporation is responsible for constructing UAM vertiports linked to the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport and providing UAM traffic management services utilizing navigation facility infrastructure, while Hanwha Systems is in charge of airframe development, manufacturing, sales, operation, maintenance (MRO), and the development of air traffic control solutions.

Daegu City will provide infrastructure such as sites and facilities for operating vertiports and establish a policy foundation for project implementation, including licensing and administrative support. It also takes on the role of establishing a comprehensive policy plan for the creation of the Daegu UAM ecosystem.