California eVTOL developer Joby Aviation has secured a new partnership to support its planned aerial ridesharing services in South Korea. The company said it is teaming up with TMAP, a South Korean mobility platform, to extend its existing partnership with SK Telecom (SKT).
Joby plans to tap into the transportation and mapping data that TMAP has collected over the last two decades to inform its Korean air taxi routes, infrastructure networks, and mobility services for Korean travelers.
“By cooperating with Joby, TMAP will become a platform operator that can offer a seamless transportation service between the ground and the sky,” said Lee Jong Ho, CEO of TMAP Mobility, in a press release.
TMAP will operate the ridesharing platform using the UT on demand ridehailing app, which the company jointly owns with Uber.
“TMAP’s deep knowledge and understanding of mobility needs across Korea, along with millions of daily users across Korea, makes them a great partner and platform through which to bring our aerial ridesharing service to customers,” said Justin Lang, head of partnerships and corporate strategy at Joby.
Joby plans to operate its own ridesharing service in the U.S. using the Joby app or the Uber app — which it expects to launch in 2024 after the aircraft is certified by U.S. aviation authorities. In the meantime, the eVTOL developer is also working to receive its Part 135 air carrier certificate later this year and start testing air taxi operations in the U.S. using a conventional fixed-wing aircraft.
Joby is developing a five-seat eVTOL aircraft with a targeted range of 150 miles (241 kilometers), and top speeds of 200 mph (321 km/h). The company expects to have the aircraft certified in 2023.
TMAP is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SK Square — a new company spun off from SK Telecom last year.