South Korea plans to launch air taxis in 2025

South Korean telecommunications (SK telecom) is working to introduce flying taxis in the market by 2025, a senior executive told CNBC on Monday.

SK telecom and U.S. firm Joby Aviation inked a tie-up to develop flying taxis last year, these electric flying vehicles are a seen by advocates as a way to transport people around dense cities and avoid traffic.

The service will be available on a commercial level first and the priority in the upcoming period is to ensure the service is safe and acceptable for the public, SK telecom’s chief development officer, Ha Min-yong said.

This would likely encourage the government support the expansion of the service to other sectors such as tourism and medical healthcare.

The expertise of SK Telecom will come in handy for the development of 5G networks needed for flying taxis, while developing air taxis will also allow Joby Aviation to expand its activities beyond the traditional mobile carrier services.

The project is still at an early stage, but it is considered a promising transportation method, Ha added that this is especially true for over-populated cities in order to reduce traffic.