Air taxi startup Wisk Aero has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing Company after another aircraft manufacturer sold its shares in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vendor to American aerospace giant.
According to a report from Flight Global, electric aircraft maker Kitty Hawk sold its shares of Wisk to Boeing after ceasing operations last year. This left Boeing as the sole owner. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Last year, Boeing invested $450 million in Wisk to help develop its sixth-generation aircraft for a commercial fleet of eVTOLs that could be used as air taxis for public transportation. The investment made Wisk one of the most well-funded air taxi companies in the world. Later in 2022, Boeing and Wisk unveiled their roadmap for urban air mobility featuring how the aircraft would be integrated into national airspace including:
- The use of vertiports
- Automated onboard and ground-based systems
- Unmanned flights both day and night
- Larger capacity eVTOLs
- Higher payload cargo aircraft
According to the report, while Wisk will keep its independence, it will leverage Boeing’s experience in certifying aircraft and its relationship with airlines worldwide. However, there is no target data yet for achieving certification and launching operations. The company said its Type certification and Part 13 certification program are in progress with the Federal Aviation Administration.
It is unclear how the deal will impact Wisk’s deal with Japan Airlines that it made last month.
Why it matters
The move continues a trend of major aerospace and airline vendors buying into the idea of air taxis and investing heavily in their future.
The best example of this is the relationship between United Airlines and its investment in Archer Aviation and Eve Air Mobility. The American airline giant paid $10 million in a pre-delivery payment to Archer Aviation after ordering 100 air taxis and placed an order with Eve Air for 200 air taxis last year. United will likely use these air taxis as urban transportation from city to city or inter-city travel as it unveiled two inter-city routes already.
Japan’s airlines have also taken an active interest in air taxis as the country gears up for the 2025 World Expo that will take place in the country and feature air taxis as one of the primary exhibits ferrying visitors from different areas around Osaka. Specifically, Suzuki Motors is developing air taxis with SkyDrive and Ava Holdings, one of the largest airlines in Japan, formed a partnership with Joby Aviation to bring aerial ridesharing to Japanese residents.