Hyundai hires ex-NASA engineer to lead new flying taxi division

Hyundai added its name to the growing list of carmakers and technology firms racing to deploy flying taxis in the skies above the world’s biggest cities. The South Korean firm hired an ex-NASA engineer named Dr. Jaiwon Shin (pictured) to lead its newly-formed Urban Air Mobility division.

“The new team at Hyundai will develop core technologies that will establish the company as a driving force in urban air mobility,” Dr. Shin said in a statement.

It’s too early for Hyundai to reveal concrete details about the vehicle (or vehicles) it plans to develop, but grouping the project under the urban air mobility moniker strongly suggests it’s not out to design South Korea’s answer to the Boeing 787. It emphasized Dr. Shin’s team will focus on solving traffic problems in mega-cities around the world, likely with electric, autonomous, human-sized drones.

Dr. Shin is the right man for the job, according to his new employer. As a 30-year NASA veteran, his résumé lists dozens of projects including the supersonic X-plane and the electrification of airplanes. He also has experience in air traffic management, which will be crucial if the companies developing flying taxis all manage to reach their goal and start filling the skies. 

While Hyundai hasn’t announced when it plans to launch its first flying taxi, the company hinted that the investments it’s making in 2019 will pay off in the long run. It pointed out the urban air mobility segment it’s entering is expected to be worth $1.5 trillion by 2039.

The flying taxi segment will get really crowded, really quickly. Uber is investing a significant amount of money into the project, and it plans to take ride-hailing to the skies by 2023 with help from NASA. Airbus and Audi teamed up to work on a similar people-mover, and Autoblog understands development work is secretly underway at the helicopter facility Airbus operates near Marseilles, France. Google co-founder Larry Page invested in a start-up named Kitty Hawk that inked a deal with Boeing earlier in 2019. Aston Martin and plane engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce (no relation to the BMW-owned carmaker) have set their sights on the segment, too.