Log-in here if you’re already a subscriber
After years of waffling and speculative commitments to next-generation technologies and new aerospace entrants, Boeing has formally adopted Wisk, bringing the autonomous air taxi aspirant fully under its strategic ownership.
Wisk CEO Brian Yutko, who was Boeing’s chief engineer of sustainability and future mobility before taking the reins of the electric vertical take-off and landing developer in February, announced the development at a Boeing media event in South Carolina on May 31. He declined to share the terms under which Boeing bought out its joint venture partner Kittyhawk, the pioneering eVTOL developer funded by Google billionaire Larry Page.
Related: Absent 797, Boeing bets on Wisk’s autonomous moonshot
Boeing and Kittyhawk established Wisk in 2019, with Boeing as the majority investor, to develop Kittyhawk’s Cora eVTOL, the two-seat predecessor to the four-seat “Generation 6” aircraft that Wisk unveiled last year. Kittyhawk, which was independently pursuing its own autonomous eVTOL projects, abruptly ceased operations in September 2022 after a reportedly tumultuous few months marked by the personal involvement of Page.
Subscribe to continue reading...Subscribe to Continue Reading
Our award-winning aerospace reporting combines the highest standards of journalism with the level of technical detail and rigor expected by a sophisticated industry audience.
- Exclusive reporting and analysis on the strategy and technology of flying
- Full access to our archive of industry intelligence
- We respect your time; everything we publish earns your attention
