Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Busan, South Korea – July 16, 2025 – Korean Air is unveiling its smart mobility and aviation technologies at the World Smart City Expo 2025 (WSCE) being held from July 15 to 17 at Busan BEXCO. The event is jointly organized by Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Ministry of Science and ICT, and has rapidly grown since its inaugural edition in 2017, now being Asia’s largest smart city exhibition.
Korean Air plans to demonstrate its leading capabilities for smart mobility, which will be a basis for the company’s future, by showcasing avant-garde technologies that will drive the way for future transportation and the aero-industry. AAM, digital MRO, and smart drones will take center stage as part of the airline’s commitment to driving innovation in the aviation industry. The airline will explore innovations within three main areas: Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), digital MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul), and smart drones.
The Expo as an Innovation Showcase
The World Smart City Expo has rapidly become the global event for presenting advanced concepts and technologies for smart cities. The 2024 expo brought in more than 39,000 visitors, with the involvement of over 330 institutions and companies from 70 countries. The 2025 expo is aiming to build on those numbers and set a new industry standard.
Korean Air is continuously pushing the aerospace industry through the use of digital technology and sustainable solutions. The addition of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) technology to its fleet is another step the airline is taking to transform the industry.
Smart Drone Innovations
The highlight of Korean Air’s booth is the inspection drone with IoT technology. This drone was created with aircraft inspections in mind, eliminating the use of boom lifts and improving both safety and speed. With enhanced performance, the matured drone has become a must-have device for aviation maintenance and even for a wider range of smart mobility.
Furthermore, the airline will be launching its hybrid drone with extended range capability. The aircraft is well-suited for land and maritime research, reconnaissance, and delivery, and is widely applicable for a variety of industries.
Korean Air’s drone development is part of a broader push to introduce smart technologies in airline operations, making the aviation industry safer and more efficient.
AI-Powered Innovations: Smarter Maintenance
Another element of Korean Air’s technology focus is the AI chatbot, created to propose the best maintenance options whenever a fault is found. By leveraging leading-edge algorithms, the chatbot helps technicians diagnose and solve problems faster and more accurately, thereby increasing uptime and operational productivity.
The carrier’s AI-based efforts are part of its ongoing commitment to implement smarter technologies in flying, which are driving key advancements in safety and cost reductions.
Pioneering Advanced Air Mobility
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) will also be a key highlight at the Korean Air booth. Korean Air has been at the forefront of systems development for the operational and traffic management of an AAM ecosystem in Korea. That includes the successful completion of Phase 1 in the K-UAM Grand Challenge ─ a project boosted by Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Korean Air will showcase “ACROSS”, its proprietary AAM operations and traffic control platform. This platform is tasked with overseeing the safe incorporation of eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft into air traffic. ACROSS is positioned to be a reference for air traffic management (ATM) in the smart mobility space by ensuring safe and sustainable urban air mobility (AAM) services.
Korean Air’s Vision for the Future
From a broader angle, a Korean Air representative stated that the WSCE is an opportunity for the airline to set up its vision of what smart mobility will look like in the future. The representative said that the company believes this platform offers an ideal stage to display its high technologies and their potential impact on the transportation sector. They further highlighted that, leveraging its long-standing expertise in the aerospace sector, Korean Air is ready to take the next giant stride in the smart-mobility field. This effort is guided by a pledge to be a world leader in aerospace and transportation technologies, driven by innovation, environmental conservation, and energy efficiency.
Korean Air: A Leader in the Smart City Revolution
Korean Air’s participation in the 2025 WSCE is a testament to the airline’s role in the smart city revolution. With its top-of-the-range mobility technologies, the company is leading the future of urban transportation in Korea, as well as in some parts of the international community. As more smart cities are established around the world, transportation systems will play an increasingly vital role in the transformation of urban infrastructure in terms of safety, quality, and energy efficiency. By being part of these technological breakthroughs, Korean Air is positioned as a front leader in smart mobility globally.
The Future of Smart Mobility
The 2025 World Smart City Expo serves as a significant leap forward for Korean Air as it seeks to redesign smart mobility and aerospace advancement. By displaying smart drones, AI-based maintenance systems, and Advanced Air Mobility, Korean Air will usher in a new era of intelligent transport.
The airline is already looking beyond the cabin and its cutting-edge innovations to how it can help create smarter cities and the next generation of mobility, globally.
