Hyundai Air Taxi Arm Supernal Reemerges With Plans for New Design

Automaker partners with South Korean aerospace manufacturer to pursue a ‘next-generation’ design.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Supernal’s booth at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow, where it displayed its S-A2 air taxi concept. [Credit: Supernal]

Key Takeaways:

Supernal, Hyundai's air taxi unit, is restarting its advanced air mobility (AAM) development after previous pauses and layoffs, announcing a strategic partnership with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).
The collaboration will focus on developing a "next-generation" AAM aircraft, with Supernal leading design and engineering, rather than continuing with its previously unveiled S-A2 model.
This partnership combines Supernal's powertrain expertise with KAI's mass manufacturing capabilities and certification process knowledge, aiming for a commercially viable and globally certifiable eVTOL aircraft.
The move represents a strategic pivot for Supernal, now operating with a core team focused on the new concept and leveraging a global ecosystem of partners for development scale.

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Supernal—the air taxi unit of Hyundai that was reported to have paused its flight testing efforts in September and laid off most of its staff in March—is returning to the table with plans for a “next-generation” aircraft, a spokesperson told FLYING.

Hyundai on Sunday announced it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining a strategic partnership with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to jointly develop an advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft. But rather than move forward with Supernal’s S-A2—the model that began flight testing last year—the partners intend to pursue a new AAM concept, with Supernal taking the lead on design and engineering.