South Korea teams up with Airbus, Boeing to develop next-generation commercial aircraft

The government and industry are joining forces to lay the groundwork for South Korean companies to participate in the international co-development of next-generation commercial aircraft.

Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) held the kickoff meeting of the Public-Private Task Force for International Co-development of Commercial Aircraft on Thursday at the international conference room of Seoul Central Post Office, with related ministries and aviation manufacturers in attendance.

The meeting brought together officials from the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Financial Services Commission, along with industry representatives from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Korean Air and Hanwha Aerospace.

The next-generation commercial aircraft international co-development project aims to position South Korean companies as key partners in development programs led by Airbus, Boeing and other global manufacturers.

As global commercial aircraft makers develop new models to replace existing ones such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, the initiative envisions domestic firms taking the lead in developing key components or modules and securing exclusive long-term supply rights for those items through the mass production phase.

While significant cost and effort are required for domestic companies to spearhead development of such components, success would allow them to stably export those items for at least 20 to 30 years, making the project an essential undertaking.

The initiative also carries significant weight in that it would allow South Korea to acquire, ahead of schedule, advanced airframe development technology and cutting-edge engine technology for next-generation aircraft that consume far less fuel and offer greater productivity than existing models.

Full-scale development of next-generation commercial aircraft is expected to begin around 2030. Given the aviation industry's characteristic demands of enormous cost and time, thorough preparation and investment are needed starting now.

Regarding the project, President Lee Jae-myung emphasized its importance at the fifth National Space Council on July 3 and directed that a dedicated organization be established promptly to consolidate pan-government capabilities.

The task force will be headed by KASA Administrator Oh Tae-seok, with director-level civil servants from relevant ministries serving as members, and will include up to around 100 domestic companies along with related industry associations and outside experts.

The task force will seek pan-government support measures covering technology capability enhancement, production facility expansion and stable investment funding for domestic firms, while building a cooperative framework among those companies to strengthen South Korea's negotiating position internationally.

Lee Ju-han, senior presidential secretary for science and technology research, said the initiative is "an important opportunity to broaden the growth foundation of the domestic aviation manufacturing industry and increase the chances of domestic companies entering global supply chains."

KASA Administrator Oh said participation in the international co-development of commercial aircraft is "an important turning point for the domestic aviation manufacturing industry to move beyond simple parts supply and secure high-value-added manufacturing capabilities." He added that "KASA will rally the capabilities of the government and industry around the task force and actively support our companies in establishing themselves as key players in the global commercial aircraft manufacturing supply chain."