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 relaunching its Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) efforts after previously pausing flight testing and laying off most of its staff.
Hyundai has partnered with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to jointly develop a "next-generation" eVTOL aircraft, shifting away from Supernal's original S-A2 model for commercialization.
This collaboration leverages Supernal's design and powertrain expertise with KAI's mass manufacturing capabilities and aerospace experience to build a commercially viable aircraft.

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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.