[ti:South Korea Demonstrates Air Taxi Service] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]South Korean officials have demonstrated [00:04.24]a local air transportation service [00:07.84]that could be launched in Seoul as early as 2025. [00:14.72]The recent demonstration involved the country’s [00:18.92]urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles. [00:22.52]The vehicles are designed to transport people [00:27.36]between major airports and downtown Seoul. [00:32.12]Officials say the taxi service [00:35.88]is expected to cut travel time [00:39.04]between the two places by about two-thirds. [00:44.00]Last year, South Korea announced plans to launch [00:48.76]urban air travel services by 2025. [00:53.36]The transport ministry estimates such services [00:59.04]would reduce travel time for distances [01:02.96]between 30 and 50 kilometers [01:06.44]from one hour by car to 20 minutes by air. [01:11.84]Transport Minister Noh Hyeong-ouk [01:16.20]attended the UAM air traffic demonstration. [01:20.76]He said such vehicles are expected [01:25.00]“to become one of the common means of transportation [01:29.56]that citizens use in daily life.” [01:33.76]Therefore, it is “imperative” that UAM services [01:39.04]are tested in different environments," Noh added. [01:44.16]During the demonstration, a pilot flew a two-seat air taxi model [01:51.28]by Germany's Volocopter at Seoul's Gimpo Airport. [01:56.92]The test aimed to demonstrate [02:00.12]the vehicle’s control and coordination. [02:04.96]The Volocopter vehicle is powered by rotors [02:09.52]that permit it to take off and land like a helicopter does. [02:15.16]The model demonstrated can be piloted [02:18.92]or operate without a pilot. [02:22.00]However, a transport ministry official [02:25.92]said that when passengers are onboard UAMs, [02:30.96]a pilot must also be onboard to control the vehicle. [02:37.00]This is a safety measure for the taxi service [02:41.00]and will also help the vehicles [02:43.96]gain public acceptance, the official added. [02:47.92]South Korean designers [02:50.88]also showed off a model of another UAM vehicle. [02:55.40]That one will not be ready for flight tests until next year. [03:01.80]The team producing that vehicle plans to develop [03:05.64]a five-seat version, the transport ministry said. [03:11.04]Other technology demonstrated at the event [03:15.28]included imaging equipment to track the aircraft, [03:19.60]as well as lighting systems for specially designed [03:24.76]"vertiports" where air taxis will land and take off. [03:30.92]A trip from Incheon International Airport [03:35.16]to central Seoul is expected to cost about $93 [03:41.08]when the service starts in 2025. [03:45.56]That is much higher than a trip currently [03:49.76]with the most costly taxi service. [03:53.08]But transport ministry officials said the cost [03:57.84]is expected to drop to about $17 per trip by 2035, [04:05.16]if the market continues to experience strong growth. [04:11.24]In a statement, the ministry said the test flight demonstrated [04:16.44]the abilities of air traffic control systems. [04:20.92]The ministry said the systems that currently manage [04:25.44]all airport flights in the country [04:28.24]can also manage UAM air traffic. [04:32.68]This shows that the existing air traffic operations [04:37.56]can be carried out “in harmony [04:40.28]with UAM operations," the statement said. [04:44.92]I’m Bryan Lynn. [04:47.72]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM