Dubai: Airbility Inc., a South Korean venture specializing in green mobility technology, plans to begin mass production of its homegrown drones next year to expand its presence in the unmanned aerial vehicle industry currently dominated by China, its co-founder has said. Ahn Min-young, co-founder of the South Korean startup established in 2023, made the remark during an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Sunday at the Expand North Star exhibition held in Dubai.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn Min-young highlighted the expanding roles of unmanned vehicles in both everyday life and warfare amidst growing drone threats. Ahn emphasized the significance of his company's efforts to mass-produce drones as a South Korean startup. The company's focus is on the AB-U60, a 60-kilogram unmanned drone capable of reaching a maximum speed of 200 kph, surpassing the typical speed of Chinese rivals' models, which is around 100 kph.
The AB-U60 is equipped with a low-emission hybrid electric propulsion system designed for long-range flights using sustainable aviation fuel and hydrogen fuel cells. It can take off vertically and fly up to 100 kilometers on a single charge. Airbility, launched with a combined investment of 4 billion won (US$2.78 million) from venture capital firms and an additional 4 billion won through government-funded projects, plans to price each AB-U60 at around 300 million won and aims for an initial output of at least 100 units in South Korea.
Ahn noted the company's interest from Middle Eastern countries and its ambition to expand into the North American and Southeast Asian markets. He expressed Airbility's goal of producing local drones tailored to clients' needs based on technologies developed in South Korea. Looking ahead, Airbility plans to produce an urban air mobility drone, the AB-M1300, starting in 2028, although this model is still at the concept design stage.
Ahn sees the AB-U60 as a foundation for the future AB-M1300, which is expected to fly at a speed of 400 kph with two passengers. He described the development stages of the aviation industry, highlighting Airbility's vision of becoming a leader in the sector as a South Korean company and its commitment to establishing a presence in the global market.