PLANA, a developer of hybrid advanced air mobility (AAM) eVTOL aircraft, today announced that it has signed a LOI and MOU with Hi-Air, a South Korean commercial air carrier, to supply 30 AAM aircraft.

Under the LOI, PLANA will supply its hybrid-electric AAM aircraft, CP-01, to Hi-Air from 2030. The first 10 aircraft will be delivered in 2031, with the remaining 20 to be delivered later.

PLANA also had LOIs with Ghenus Air in the United States and SkyTaxi in Japan, to supply 20 and 50 aircraft, respectively since last year.

Hi-Air is South Korea’s leading small-scale air operator license holder for small-scale air transport services. The company was founded in 2019 and started operations from Ulsan Airport. Hi-Air currently operates flights to Gimpo, Muan, Suncheon, and Jeju. In 2022, Hi-Air became the first commercial air carrier in South Korea to reach 500,000 cumulative passengers. The company recently launched a new route between Muan and Kitakyushu, Japan.

Under the MOU, PLANA and Hi-Air will jointly develop business models for passenger and cargo transportation, based on the AAM aircraft. The companies expect to create synergies by leveraging their respective expertise in aircraft operation and development.

“We are excited to partner with Hi-Air, a leading small-scale air operator in South Korea,” said Jinmo Lee, CPO of PLANA. “This partnership will help us to strengthen our position in the AAM market and contribute to the development of the South Korean air mobility industry.”

“We are confident that this partnership will help us pioneer a new era of air mobility in South Korea,” said Joseph Kim, CEO of Hi-Air. “We will combine PLANA’s technology and Hi-Air’s expertise to create a new air mobility market.”