Korean Air unveils future aviation technologies at Seoul startup expo

Korean Air has unveiled a range of artificial intelligence, aviation and aerospace technologies at NextRise 2026, highlighting its ambitions beyond commercial aviation and into advanced air mobility, autonomous systems and next-generation aircraft maintenance.

The airline said it is participating in the two-day startup and technology exhibition being held at COEX in Seoul's Gangnam district, where it is demonstrating innovations spanning air traffic control, defence technologies and AI-powered maintenance solutions.

According to reporting by Seoul Economic Daily, the company is using the event to showcase technologies that could shape future aviation operations and aerospace capabilities.

Intelligent air traffic management takes centre stage

One of the key technologies on display is ACROSS, Korean Air's intelligent air traffic control platform.

The airline said the system presents a vision for managing future airspace environments that could support Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations.

AAM refers to emerging transportation systems involving next-generation aircraft, including electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles and other advanced airborne mobility solutions.

According to Korean Air, ACROSS is designed to demonstrate how air traffic management could evolve to accommodate these new forms of aerial transportation alongside conventional aircraft.

AI-powered defence systems make public debut

The airline is also showcasing several defence and autonomous aviation projects currently under development.

Among the systems being presented are:

• A low-observable unmanned wingman aircraft

• A subsonic unmanned target drone

• An AI-enabled future combat system

According to Seoul Economic Daily, the future combat concept incorporates artificial intelligence capable of making independent operational assessments while integrating battlefield command functions.

Korean Air is also revealing test flight footage of an AI drone being jointly developed with U.S. defence company Anduril Industries.

The footage is being shown publicly for the first time at the exhibition, according to the company.

Smart maintenance platform aims to reduce inspection times

Another major focus of the exhibition is Smart MRO, Korean Air's aircraft maintenance technology that combines robotics, drones and artificial intelligence.

The system uses drones and a ground-based rover to capture images of aircraft exteriors during maintenance inspections.

Artificial intelligence then analyses the collected imagery to identify defects and notify maintenance personnel.

According to Korean Air, the technology can significantly reduce inspection times by automating parts of the review process.

Key features of the Smart MRO system include:

• Drone-based inspection of aircraft upper surfaces

• Ground rover imaging of lower aircraft sections

• AI-driven defect detection

• Automated reporting to maintenance teams

The airline said the technology has the potential to reduce aircraft inspection time from 10 hours to one hour.

Boeing partnership supports commercialisation plans

Korean Air said it is also pursuing plans to commercialise the Smart MRO platform in collaboration with aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

The initiative reflects growing interest across the aviation industry in using AI, automation and robotics to improve maintenance efficiency, reduce aircraft downtime and enhance operational reliability.

The airline's participation in NextRise comes as aerospace companies increasingly invest in technologies that combine aviation expertise with artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and digital infrastructure.

By showcasing projects across air traffic management, defence aviation and maintenance automation, Korean Air is signalling its intention to play a broader role in the development of future aerospace technologies.

As advanced air mobility, autonomous aircraft and AI-powered maintenance systems move closer to commercial adoption, the technologies presented at NextRise 2026 offer a glimpse into how aviation operations could evolve in the years ahead.