Jakarta. Hyundai's flying taxi, set to operate in Indonesia’s new capital city, Nusantara (IKN), will soon commence test flights this month. The Ministry of Transportation has issued guidelines for operators to ensure the tests are conducted smoothly.

The Transportation Ministry has approved the test flights for Hyundai’s flying taxi. However, the tests must not interfere with the air routes of manned aircraft.

“The operators, or any provider, must ensure that the airspace used for the flying taxis does not intersect with the airspace for manned aircraft,” said Sigit Hani Hadiyanto, Secretary of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation at the Ministry on Tuesday.

This restriction is necessary because flying taxis, fundamentally classified as unmanned aerial vehicles or urban air mobility (UAM) devices, operate differently from conventional aircraft. Therefore, their flight mechanisms must remain segregated from those of conventional aircraft.

“Currently, the policy mandates that any unmanned aerial vehicle, UAM, drone, or flying taxi must operate in segregated airspace,” Hadiyanto explained.

He further noted that regulations surrounding UAM are still under debate globally. Many countries and relevant authorities are continuing to conduct further studies on the operational aspects of flying taxis.

“The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is still conducting studies on this matter. We are also referring to their findings,” he added.

Additionally, Sigit mentioned that the use of flying taxis in IKN would require operational permits, similar to other unmanned aircraft, and cannot be conducted in any airspace without proper authorization.

Therefore, he emphasized the need for operators to coordinate effectively with local airports and navigation service providers to avoid any airspace conflicts.

“Permissions will be granted if all requirements and safety assessments are met,” said Sigit.

The flying taxi model projected for IKN is the Hyundai Supernal eVTOL S-A2. Here are the specifications:

• Design: V-tail aircraft
• Speed: 120 mph (193 km/h)
• Altitude: 1,500 feet
• Range: 25 to 40 miles (40 to 64 km)
• Propulsion: Distributed electric propulsion with eight tilting rotors
• Noise Level: 65 dB during vertical take-off and landing, 45 dB in horizontal flight
• Capacity: Hyundai’s air taxi can carry up to five people, including a pilot.