Electric aircraft operator Toff Mobility flew its Velis Electro plane from Yangyang International Airport on Monday, marking the first electric aircraft takeoff from a commercial airport in Korea. The demonstration underscores opportunities for revitalizing underused regional airports, though the lack of charging infrastructure remains a key challenge.
In Yangyang, Gangwon Province, Toff Mobility took off its Velis Electro electric aircraft from Yangyang International Airport on Monday. The flight lasted about 15 minutes, circling above the airport despite some gusts, powered by two fully charged lithium-ion batteries that enable up to 80 minutes of flight and a range of about 200 kilometers.
This demonstration followed the certification of the plane's commercial license by the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology last November, under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. It comes after electric aviation commercialization in Europe and Australia in 2020 and in the United States in 2024. Jaden Jung, CEO of Toff Mobility, described the flight as “a new milestone in the Korean aviation industry.”
The airport terminal was nearly deserted, with only two passenger flights scheduled to depart that day, reflecting the broader struggles of Korea's regional airports with low demand, declining revenues, and ongoing financial deficits. Toff Mobility plans to target these underutilized facilities as part of the government's push to revitalize smaller airports, using idle infrastructure to grow its electric mobility fleet and enhance connectivity to remote areas.
“Yangyang is one of the most tourist-friendly cities after Jeju Island,” Jung said. “It is also the closest airport to Ulleung Island, where a new airport for smaller aircraft with fewer than 200 seats is under construction. We can provide quick flights from Yangyang to Ulleung for travelers who currently have to spend several hours reaching the island by ship.”
The initiative hinges on installing charging stations at local airports, none of which currently have such facilities in Korea—unlike more than 70 in the U.S., according to Jung. “The top priority is expanding charging infrastructure at local airports,” he emphasized. The company currently operates two two-seater planes but aims to introduce models with nine and 19 seats for transportation and logistics services, expecting new government regulations to support charging installations.
