Flies for 7 Minutes Carrying 80 kg of Rice
A two-seater drone taxi capable of vertical take-off and landing was tested in Yeouido, Seoul on Nov. 11. In the flight test, the drone carrying 80 kilograms of rice instead of a person successfully landed after a seven-minute flight at an altitude of 50 meters near the Han River.
Previously, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport conducted similar tests in Incheon and Yeongwol. The test flight in Yeouido is the ministry’s first drone test in a downtown area. The South Korean government announced this past summer that a commercial urban air mobility system for downtown flight would be put into operation in 2025.
The drone tested in Yeouido is Ehang EH216 made in China. In other words, the government conducted a drone taxi test with an imported product with a domestic product yet to come out. This implies that the government is determined to get a head start in drone-based transportation.
In the meantime, Hanwha Systems unveiled a 1/3 model of the Butterfly on Nov. 11. The company is currently developing the personal air vehicle together with U.S.-based air taxi startup Overair. In addition, Hanwha Systems announced that Korea Airports Corporation and itself would build a verti-hub for drone taxi take-off and landing at the Gimpo International Airport.