Skyports Infrastructure and Korean Air have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the development of a joint technology platform to manage future electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) operations.
The agreement was signed on February 26 during Drone Show Korea 2026 in Busan by Ankit Dass, chief technology officer at Skyports Infrastructure, and Kyung-Nam Kim, managing vice president and head of the R&D Center at Korean Air.
The partnership will combine Skyports’ Vertiport Automation System (VAS) with Korean Air’s Air Control & Routing Orchestrated Skyway System (ACROSS), which is focused on flight operations control and low-altitude air traffic management.
According to the companies, the collaboration will examine how the two systems can be technically aligned to enable interoperability between vertiport infrastructure and flight operations platforms. The project will include testing and validation activities, as well as joint demonstrations and pilot programs linked to vertiport operations and advanced air mobility (AAM) integration.
“Whilst eVTOL aircraft development is progressing at a good pace, there are still various unknowns around how they would operate and navigate effectively in the real world environment,” said Dass. “This partnership with Korean Air reflects our shared vision to create the technologies and operational frameworks needed to bring advanced air mobility to life.”
Korean Air said integration between flight operations systems and vertiports will be critical as AAM services move toward commercialization.
“ACROSS aims to provide seamless services in both flight operation control and low-altitude air traffic management once AAM aircraft are commercialized,” said Kwang-Oh Moon, head of Future Technology Development Center at Korean Air. “From a systems perspective, close integration with vertiports, which will assume the role of traditional airports for commercial aviation, is critically important.”
Skyports is currently developing vertiport networks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with commercial eVTOL operations in Dubai planned before the end of 2026. The company also operates Downtown Skyport in New York City and is developing a vertiport network on Jeju Island, South Korea, with commercial operations targeted for 2028.
The companies said the long-term goal of the partnership is to support scalable, real-world commercial eVTOL services as the AAM sector matures.
Related news, Dubai and Skyports reach vertiport construction milestone in ‘defining moment’ for world’s first aerial taxi service
