Skyports, UI Helicopter, and BETA Technologies Partner to Advance AAM in South Korea
Skyports Infrastructure, UI Helicopter, and BETA Technologies have formed a strategic partnership to develop the foundational elements for commercial advanced air mobility (AAM) services in South Korea.
The agreement, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at K‑UAM Confex 2026 in Seoul on July 15, 2026, combines aircraft manufacturing, local operations expertise, and vertiport infrastructure development. The partnership aims to support the South Korean government’s target of launching commercial AAM services by 2029.
Under the MoU, UI Helicopter has committed to acquiring up to 20 BETA aircraft, including both the ALIA CTOL (conventional takeoff and landing) and ALIA VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) variants. Initial deliveries are planned from 2029. UI Helicopter, with nearly four decades of experience in helicopter maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO), is expanding into advanced air mobility through its UAS division.
Skyports Infrastructure will lead site identification, vertiport planning and development, and charging infrastructure deployment using BETA’s rapid charging systems. The company has already begun groundwork for a vertiport network on Jeju Island in partnership with the Jeju Provincial Government, which is expected to serve as the initial network in Korea.
BETA Technologies brings its ALIA aircraft family, which has accumulated over 160,000 nautical miles of flight testing. The CTOL variant is progressing through FAA type certification, while the VTOL variant continues flight testing. The dual approach allows for initial operations using existing airport infrastructure while vertiport networks develop.
The partnership is a comprehensive effort to establish the necessary ecosystem for electric air taxi services = and aligns closely with South Korea’s ambitions to become a leader in the advanced air mobility and aviation sectors.
