Located approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes by car from Seoul in South Korea’s Chungcheongnam-do province, Boryeong Airport is one of the emerging test airports sponsored by the South Korean government. It serves as a hub for testing and developing advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and urban air mobility (UAM) solutions. With an initial runway length of 450 meters and plans to extend it to 1,200 meters, the airport offers a secure and tightly controlled environment ideal for assessing the performance and reliability of cutting-edge aviation technologies. Its proximity to leading research centers such as the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) further enhances its strategic importance.
On September 18th, CT UAV, a member of Vietnam’s CT Group, and its South Korean partner, Airbility, successfully conducted a test flight of the AB-U60 UAV prototype at Boryeong Airport. The trial, attended by leaders from both companies, aimed to evaluate the advanced tilt-rotor UAV equipped with Electric Ducted Fan (EDF) engines.
This test flight marks a significant milestone in CT UAV’s plan to manufacture 5,000 heavy-lift UAVs under an OEM agreement signed with Airbility in August 2025 in Seoul. The agreement was witnessed by Vietnamese General Secretary Tô Lâm and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min Seok.
Test flight of the AB-U60 prototype at Boryeong Airport
Airbility, a pioneering South Korean aerospace company, was founded by industry leaders including Dr. Taekyu Reu (CEO), a 40-year veteran and designer of South Korea’s KT-1, T-50, and KFX fighter jets, as well as the nation’s first AESA radar. Co-founders include Dr. Jinmo Lee (Co-CEO), a former senior researcher at Hyundai and MIT alumnus; Dr. Hyunsoon Kim (CTO), with 25 years of experience leading aircraft development at ADD; and Dr. Minyoung Ahn (COO), a former LG Electronics engineer and Silicon Valley project manager.
Airbility has secured investments from prominent firms such as Samho Green Investment, Base Ventures, Stonebridge Ventures, Mashup Ventures, and 500 Global. The company has also been selected for top South Korean startup and deep-tech programs, including Startup NEST, Little Penguin, Ultra-Gap Startup 1000+, and Deep-tech TIPS.
CT UAV, a leading ASEAN UAV manufacturer with 16 product lines spanning logistics, telecommunications, agriculture, defense, construction, energy, and more, brings rapid R&D capabilities and a robust tech ecosystem to the partnership. The September 18th flight marks another key milestone in their collaboration.
On the clear, sunny afternoon of September 18th in Chungcheongnam-do, the gleaming white AB-U60 with four EDF engines took off silently, its motors humming softly. After vertical takeoff, the rotors shifted for horizontal flight, reaching speeds of 160 km/h before gracefully landing to applause from the Vietnamese and South Korean teams. The test included a 1/3-scale AB-U4 prototype and the full-scale 60 kg AB-U60, adhering to strict aviation standards.
CT UAV and Airbility teams at the September 18th test flight
Despite the successful test, the AB-U60 will undergo further trials in diverse weather conditions to meet flight hour and technical requirements before mass production. Both companies are also developing 300–600 kg models compliant with FAA standards.
Beyond the 5,000 UAV OEM agreement with Airbility, CT Group is pursuing partnerships with major domestic and international corporations. The group is also preparing product lines for Indonesia, a G20 nation that has signed a low-altitude airspace development agreement with CT Group, fostering a sustainable ASEAN++ collaboration model.
