Jakarta. The Nusantara Authority, the agency that is in charge of overseeing Indonesia’s future capital project, wants the state-owned aerospace company Dirgantara Indonesia to work with South Korean automotive giant Hyundai on the development of flying cars.

Last year, the Nusantara Authority inked a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai on advanced air mobility. Hyundai is planning to launch the trial run for its air taxis in the new capital in July 2024. Hyundai’s air taxi can carry up to five people, including a pilot. As Hyundai proceeds with the project, the Nusantara Authority is nudging Dirgantara Indonesia to partner with the South Korean company. 

“Dirgantara Indonesia is experienced in building airplanes and helicopters. … We have spoken with Dirgantara Indonesia, and they admitted that this [air mobility] held prospects as a mode of transportation. Hopefully, Dirgantara can join the technical team [on air mobility],” Mohammed Ali Berawi, the deputy for digital transformation at the Nusantara Authority, told a virtual press briefing on Friday. 

“I would like to see Dirgantara working together with Hyundai to develop urban air mobility because we still need to research many things, including the aerospace regulations … how we manage the aerospace and the air traffic. Not to mention that we need to calculate the economic aspect,” Ali said.

Aside from the urban air taxis, Hyundai’s cooperation also encompasses its regional air mobility, according to Ali. In other words, they will work on flying cars that are larger and can travel longer distances.

For comparison, urban air mobility typically focuses on transporting people and cargo within the city. Regional air mobility can connect islands separated by mountainous regions and rivers. Advanced air mobility is an overarching term that combines the two.

 “There is no urban air mobility [or air taxi] that has reached a commercial phase. That is why we [Indonesia] have a chance to be a player or producer in this technology,” Ali said.

“I believe the cooperation with Hyundai is quite positive, as they also plan on building a technology center in the new capital Nusantara,” Ali said.

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