Hyundai Motor Group and Korea Aerospace Industries Sign MOU to Jointly Develop Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft

Hyundai Motor Group has signed an agreement with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to jointly develop advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, the carmaker announced Sunday. The signing ceremony for the memorandum of understanding (MOU) took place in Seoul on May 8, 2026. Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chair Chang Jae-hoon and KAI CEO Kim Jong-chool attended the event and later posed for a photo together.

Under the agreement the two companies will jointly develop and mass-produce competitive AAM aircraft. They plan to combine Hyundai's expertise in electrified aviation powertrains with KAI's aircraft development technologies. The partners also agreed to cooperate in commercializing electrified aviation powertrains currently being developed by Hyundai Motor and Kia.

Their collaboration will extend to resource sharing, supply chains and certification. "We will expand the horizons of mobility by introducing safe and attractive advanced air mobility solutions," Hyundai said in a release. Yonhap reported the details of the agreement on May 10, 2026.

The announcement marks a formal step toward integrating automotive electrification know-how with established aerospace capabilities in South Korea. Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chair Chang Jae-hoon (L) and Korea Aerospace Industries CEO Kim Jong-chool attended the MOU signing ceremony on May 8, 2026, in Seoul.

The companies said the partnership aims to accelerate the introduction of practical AAM solutions to the market.