Supernal, the advanced air mobility subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate Hyundai, is suspending the development of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The move was first reported by the Orange County Register, a local newspaper in California with access to sources within the company and was picked up by TechCrunch and other media outlets shortly after.
Supernal’s decision to pause work on its eVTOL program follows the departure of both the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
On August 31, 2025, Dr. Jaiwon Shin and David McBride stepped down from their roles as CEO and CTO, respectively. So far, no new CEO has been appointed, and the company is reportedly scouting the international executive market for a replacement. In the meantime, Senior Business Development Director, David Rottblatt is overseeing Supernal’s operations as interim Chief Operations Officer (COO).
In response to AeroTime’s queries, sources at Supernal stated:
“As we transition to new leadership, we have taken the opportunity to strategically review our program’s progress and next steps to ensure alignment with our long-term goals. Hyundai Motor Group remains strongly committed to its AAM business.”
With this decision, Supernal follows in the footsteps of Airbus, which earlier in 2025 also paused its own eVTOL development program, CityAirbus NextGen, citing the need for battery technology to catch up with the requirements of eVTOL developers.
Although part of a South Korean group, Supernal is based in Irvine, California. The eVTOL developer announced in April 2025 that it had conducted its first test flight at the Mojave Air and Space Port.
Supernal’s flagship project was the development of the S-A2, a battery-electric eVTOL aircraft capable of carrying four passengers and a pilot.