Seoul — Korean Air is highlighting its next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies at the Korea Drone & UAM Expo 2026, taking place at Songdo Convensia in Incheon from July 15 to 17.
Jointly hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and Incheon Metropolitan City, the exhibition offers a comprehensive look at the latest domestic and international developments in drone technology and urban air mobility (UAM).
At this year’s event, Korean Air is presenting strategic technologies designed to drive the digital transformation of Korea’s aerospace industry. The company’s exhibition focuses on AI, UAV platforms, digital aircraft maintenance and integrated UAM operations.
To help visitors experience these next-generation technologies firsthand, Korean Air has created an exhibition space featuring an LED air traffic control tower displaying real-time traffic management simulations alongside robotic equipment.
Intelligent Traffic Management (ACROSS)
In the intelligent traffic management zone, Korean Air is presenting ACROSS (Air Control and Routing Orchestrated Skyway System), its proprietary mobility operations and traffic management solution. ACROSS monitors UAM aircraft in real time and provides optimized routing to enable collision-free operations. The system has demonstrated its advanced safety and traffic management capabilities through the successful completion of Phases 1 and 2 of the K-UAM Grand Challenge, a demonstration program led by MOLIT. In addition to Korean Air’s main exhibit, a joint booth by the K-UAM consortium, which includes Korean Air, Incheon International Airport Corporation, KT and Hyundai E&C, showcases detailed modules of ACROSS.
Autonomous Piloting and UAV platforms
The autonomous piloting zone features “AI Pilot,” an AI-powered flight concept for future combat systems, alongside Korean Air’s expanding UAV portfolio. Displays include stealth UAVs and a test flight airframe developed in collaboration with U.S. defense tech firm Anduril Industries. Korean Air is focusing its research and development efforts to establish fully autonomous, unmanned combat systems capable of integrated battlefield command.
Intelligent maintenance: Digital MRO
In the intelligent maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) zone, Korean Air is introducing its Digital MRO system, which deploys collaborative inspection drones and ground rovers to inspect aircraft exteriors. High-resolution imagery captured by the robots is streamed in real time to the cloud, where AI algorithms analyze the data to detect defects as small as 1 millimeter. The technology reduces the exterior inspection time from 10 hours to just one hour while significantly boosting worker safety and operational efficiency. The system is currently nearing commercialization.
“Korean Air aims to highlight its advanced strategic aerospace technologies to the global market and continue leading the digital transformation of Korea’s aerospace industry through ongoing technological innovation,” said a Korean Air representative.