ANN/THE JAKARTA POST – The Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority is advancing plans to commercialise flying taxis by 2029 as part of its smart air mobility initiative for Indonesia’s future capital.
According to IKN’s Green and Digital Transformation Deputy Mohammed Ali Berawi, this effort will help establish industries around urban air mobility and advanced air mobility (UAM-AAM), expanding Indonesia’s UAM-AAM ecosystem.
The IKN Authority is collaborating with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and Hyundai Motors Company (HMC) on the ambitious project, organised into three phases.
Phase I (2024-2025) centres on proof-of-concept and policy studies, marked by the successful trial flight of a sky taxi on July 29 over Aji Pangeran Tumenggung Pranoto Airport in East Kalimantan, demonstrating stable performance at 50-80 metres.
Phase II (2026-2028) will move toward operational implementation, with a research and development centre for UAM-AAM technologies and a business model for air mobility in Indonesia.
The phase will also include collaboration with HMC, KARI, and PT Dirgantara Indonesia for technology transfer.
In Phase III (2029), the IKN Authority plans to launch sky taxi services commercially, incorporating local companies in the supply chain.
The South Korean-designed sky taxi, which seats five and runs on a battery, aligns with Indonesia’s vision for a green, sustainable new capital.
