Korean Air has partnered with Skyports Infrastructure (Skyports) to develop a platform for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) operations.
The two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Drone Show Korea (DSK) 2026 at BEXCO in Busan. The ceremony was attended by Kyung Nam Kim, Managing Vice President and Head of the Korean Air R&D Center, and Ankit Dass, Chief Technology Officer of Skyports.
Under this partnership, the two parties will develop an integrated platform by interlinking their proprietary technologies: Korean Air’s ACROSS (Air Control & Routing Orchestrated Skyway System) for flight operations and air traffic management, and Skyports’ VAS (Vertiport Automation System) for vertiport infrastructure control. The platform aims to manage the end-to-end passenger journey, including vertiport check-in, security screening, boarding, and arrival procedures. The partners plan to conduct joint demonstrations and pilot programs in regions identified for early Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) commercialization.
The long-term objective is to provide scalable solutions for the AAM industry, positioning both companies as leaders in the global market.
“ACROSS delivers integrated flight control and air traffic management for the low-altitude aviation environment,” said a Korean Air representative. “As vertiports serve as the essential interface for these operations, our partnership with Skyports, a global leader in infrastructure, is a critical milestone in building a safe and efficient AAM ecosystem.”
Skyports is expanding its global vertiport footprint, with commercial operations in Dubai scheduled for 2026. This follows ongoing infrastructure projects in Abu Dhabi and the transition of the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York City into a dedicated AAM platform.
Developed in 2024, Korean Air’s ACROSS provides comprehensive AAM fleet operations and air traffic management functions for low-altitude aircraft—including eVTOLs, drones, and helicopters. The platform manages flight schedules, flight plans, maintenance, flight monitoring and flight plan approval. As the first domestic entity to obtain UAM traffic management demonstration status, Korean Air validated the system’s performance through Phases 1 and 2 of the K-UAM Grand Challenge overseen by the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT).
