TMAP joins Joby and SKT in partnership to bring air taxi service to South Korea

Joby Aviation confirmed that TMAP, South Korea largest mobility platform, will join Joby’s partnership with SK Telecom to bring aerial ridesharing services to Korea. As Korea largest mobility platform, TMAP holds an unprecedented amount of transportation and mapping data gathered over the last 20 years. This data will inform the partners’ design of optimal air taxi routes, infrastructure networks, and an overall mobility service that suits the preferences of Korean consumers.

TMAP also jointly owns on-demand ride-hailing app UT along with Uber, a partner to Joby since 2019, which will enable multi-modal journeys that seamlessly integrate both ground and air travel.

Together with SK Telecom, Korea’s leading telecommunications company, TMAP and Joby will work together to integrate emissions-free aerial ridesharing into TMAP’s transportation services.

“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. “South Korea is a remarkable opportunity for our aircraft to improve lives and save people time, and working with SKT and TMAP puts us in the best position to deliver a revolutionary service that is clean, quiet, and affordable.”

Joby and SKT previously announced an agreement to work closely on introducing emissions-free aerial ridesharing to Korean cities and communities in support of the “K-UAM” (Korean Urban Air Mobility) Roadmap laid out by the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport.

Commenting on the announcement, Lee Jong Ho, CEO of TMAP Mobility, said: “By cooperating with Joby, TMAP will become a platform operator that can offer a seamless transportation service between the ground and the sky.”

While Joby’s aerial ridesharing service will be operated directly by the company and offered to passengers via the Joby app or Uber app in core US markets, this announcement reflects Joby’s strategy to partner with local companies committed to delivering exceptional customer service and operational excellence to launch its service in select international markets.

With a maximum range of 150 miles (241 kilometers), a top speed of 200 mph (321 km/h), and a low noise profile that will allow it to access urban areas, Joby's piloted electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is designed to make convenient, emissions-free air travel an everyday reality.

TMAP is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SK Square, a separate publicly traded company that forms part of the SK Group.