2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

<p><span><span><span>Two leading eVTOL aircraft developers, Wisk Aero and Lilium, have announced changes to their senior leadership teams. The moves come at the start of a year that industry observers say could prove critical to the ability of the advanced air mobility sector’s front-runners to meet their ambitious timelines. Both companies are seeking to&nbsp;bring&nbsp;products to market at a time when accessing&nbsp;new sources of funding could be more challenging.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>On January 17, U.S. company Wisk named Boeing executive Brian Yutko as its next CEO. He will take over from Gary Gysin, who is retiring&nbsp;on February 1. </span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Gysin has led Wisk since 2019 when the company was established with the backing of leading shareholders Kitty Hawk and Boeing. He has led the development of the sixth-generation eVTOL aircraft, which&nbsp;the company <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-02/wisk-aero-unveils-four-seat-autonomous-evtol-air-taxi">unveiled last year</a>, and&nbsp;was instrumental in securing an additional <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-01-24/boeing-bets-big-evtols-450-million-funding-wisk-aero">$450 million investment</a> from Boeing in January 2022.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Yutko is currently Boeing's vice president and chief engineer of sustainability and future mobility. He was previously chief technologist for the U.S. aerospace group's Boeing NeXt business unit and prior to that served as senior vice president of programs at its Aurora Flight Sciences subsidiary.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><strong>Lilium Steps Up Industrialization Plan</strong></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Germany’s Lilium this week announced internal appointments that will see Oliver Vogelgesang taking over as CFO from Geoffrey Richardson, while Sebastien Borel will become&nbsp;chief commercial officer. Vogelgesang joined the company in July 2021 as senior vice president for finance and controlling, while Borel has been senior vice president commercial since April 2022, and was previously vice president business.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Richardson has been with Lilium since November 2020. As CFO, he was instrumental in securing the start-up’s <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-09-15/lilium-and-archer-head-wall-street-share-flotations">Nasdaq listing</a> in September 2021 and then in raising $119 million in a <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-11-18/lilium-raises-119-million-evtol-aircraft-program-new-share-issue">funding round</a> completed in November 2022. </span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>According to the company, the next phase of its plans to bring the six-seat <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/lilium-jet">Lilium Jet</a> into commercial service will require its senior leadership team to be co-located in Germany, reporting to newly appointed CEO Klaus Roewe.&nbsp;Richardson is based in California.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Lilium recently completed the third of four audits for its application to secure an EASA design organization approval, with the final audit expected to happen during the first half of this year. The approval is an important prerequisite for <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-03-31/lilium-pushes-projected-evtol-aircraft-type-certification-2025">obtaining type certification</a>. The company intends to build a production-conforming prototype this year that will be&nbsp;ready to start flight testing.</span></span></span></p>
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Read the latest news about German eVTOL developer Lilium.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

eVTOL Aircraft Developers Wisk and Lilium Make Leadership Changes

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Autonomous eVTOL developer Wisk Aero recently publicly revealed its new sixth-generation aircraft.

Wisk Aero Explains How Its New Four-Seat Autonomous eVTOL Air Taxi Will Work

<p>Autonomous eVTOL developer Wisk Aero today publicly revealed its new sixth-generation aircraft. The company's unpiloted Generation 6 aircraft is designed to carry passengers up to 90 miles, flying at a cruise speed of 120 knots and an altitude between 2,500 feet and 4,000 feet.</p>
<p>The aircraft features 12 propellers, six of which can tilt, which allows the aircraft to take off and land vertically. During cruise, the aircraft transitions to wingborne horizontal flight. Wisk says its batteries will take just 15 minutes to fully recharge.</p>
<p>The California-based company has already flown more than 1,600 test flights with earlier technology demonstrators, mostly with its fifth-generation model called <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/cora">Cora</a>, which Wisk will continue to fly for research and development purposes while working to certify the Gen 6 aircraft. It has not said when it intends to start flying the first examples of its planned production aircraft, and also has not announced a name for it.</p>
<p>“We're introducing the most technically advanced aircraft and system in this marketplace,” Wisk CEO Gary Gysin told reporters last month during an exclusive preview of the new Gen 6 aircraft. “We think this is going to change transportation.”</p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/original_6349ff74-572b-4a36-849d-5275c2ef87ec_20220919_085527.jpg" width="2200" height="1080" alt="Wisk's Cora eVTOL is pictured during a demo flight at the company's facilities at Hollister Municipal Airport in Hollister, California, on September 19, 2022." title="Wisk's Cora eVTOL, the company's fifth-generation technology demonstrator, is pictured during a demo flight at the company's facilities at Hollister Municipal Airport in Hollister, California, on September 19, 2022. (Credit: Hanneke Weitering)">

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            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Wisk's Cora eVTOL, the company's fifth-generation technology demonstrator, is pictured during a demo flight at the company's facilities at Hollister Municipal Airport in Hollister, California, on September 19, 2022. (Credit: Hanneke Weitering)</div>
      
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<h3 class="subheading"><strong>From Cora to Gen 6: Design Changes</strong></h3>
<p>Wisk’s Gen 6 aircraft features several design upgrades from its two-seat Cora aircraft. In addition to a more spacious cabin designed to comfortably accommodate twice as many passengers, the Gen 6 also features a raised wing and a longer wingspan of 50 feet, compared to Cora’s 36-foot wing.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“By raising the wing, we've increased the aircraft's stability, and that brings more passenger comfort,” said Wisk senior vice president Sebastien Vigneron. “By extending the booms, we've moved the propellers away from the passenger, which improves safety both off the ground and in the air. We've also introduced a new propeller design to improve performance and reduce noise.”</p>
<p>The tail of the Gen 6 aircraft has also been redesigned. While Cora has a boxy, twin-boom tail, the Gen 6 features a simpler cross tail. This reduces the aircraft’s weight and optimizes the location of its center of gravity, which leads to better range and overall performance, Vigneron said.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“We've put a ton of focus on … reducing the number of moving parts because fewer moving parts means fewer points of failure, less wear and tear, more robustness, more reliability, less maintenance, more availability, and ultimately better safety,” Vigneron said.</p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/20220919_104624.jpg" width="2200" height="1082" alt="A view of the interior of Wisk's Gen 6 eVTOL air taxi" title="A view of the interior of Wisk's Gen 6 eVTOL air taxi. (Credit: Hanneke Weitering)">

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            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">A view of the interior of Wisk's Gen 6 eVTOL air taxi. (Credit: Hanneke Weitering)</div>
      
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<h3 class="subheading"><strong>Wisk’s Air Taxis Flies Autonomously</strong></h3>
<p>Rather than have pilots on board controlling the aircraft, all flight operations will be conducted autonomously with the help of multi-vehicle operators, who will monitor up to three simultaneous flights from a fleet operations center on the ground. In case of an emergency, passengers can press a button inside the aircraft to be connected with remote hospitality personnel. If necessary, a multi-vehicle operator can remotely command the aircraft to divert or land early.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Wisk’s head of autonomy, Jonathan Lovegren, told <strong>FutureFlight</strong> that because all flight routes will be predetermined, the aircraft doesn’t rely on artificial intelligence to fly and navigate. In other words, the aircraft will be programmed to operate under predictable circumstances and to deal with all scenarios and contingencies without having to do any real-time problem-solving using artificial intelligence. Any and all decisions the aircraft makes will be the result of pre-programmed algorithms.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>“Ninety-three percent of the functions on a commercial airliner today are actually performed by a computer, and so autonomy for us is really about taking that a step further,” Lovegren said. “We're starting with those same proven existing technologies—like navigation systems, autopilots, and flight management systems that enable today's commercial flight—and we're adding to that proprietary decision-making logic and algorithms and additional sensing capabilities to create an even more automated system with predictable deterministic outcomes.”</p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/20220919_104558.jpg" width="2200" height="1269" alt="A view of the touch-screen displays inside Wisk's Gen 6 eVTOl air taxi." title="Each of the four seats in Wisk's Gen 6 eVTOL air taxi has its own touch-screen display, where passengers will watch a pre-flight safety demo, track real-time flight information, and adjust environmental controls. The aircraft also has multiple charging ports and wireless phone chargers. (Credit: Hanneke Weitering)">

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            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Each of the four seats in Wisk's Gen 6 eVTOL air taxi has its own touch-screen display, where passengers will watch a pre-flight safety demo, track real-time flight information, and adjust environmental controls. The aircraft also has multiple charging ports and wireless phone chargers. (Credit: Hanneke Weitering)</div>
      
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<h3 class="subheading"><strong>Passenger Experience</strong></h3>
<p>To provide the most optimal customer experience, Wisk has and will continue to conduct in-depth consumer research studies. “We put potential fliers through an ever-evolving lineup of mockups and simulators, both real life and in [virtual reality],’ said Uri Tzarnotzky, director of product design at Wisk. “This approach helps to keep the voice of the customer at the heart of our engineering traits and decisions.”</p>
<p>The aircraft is designed to be accessible for people with disabilities, with room to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers. On each passenger’s personal display screen, safety instructions are offered in multiple languages, including American Sign Language. On-screen text can also be enlarged or bolded for easier reading, and the colors of the display are amenable to most forms of colorblindness, Tzarnotzky said.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Each seat on the Gen 6 has enough headroom and legroom to comfortably fit passengers as tall as about 6 feet 4 inches (2 meters). Tzarnotzky added that Wisk won’t implement a height limit for its passengers, so taller people can still fly on the Gen 6, albeit a little less comfortably. The company will require passengers to self-report their weight and that of their luggage before boarding the aircraft. Larger luggage items will be stored in what the Wisk team calls the “frunk”—a trunk located in the front of the aircraft—while smaller carry-on items, such as backpacks and purses, can be stored safely inside the cabin.&nbsp;</p>
<p>To further enhance the customer experience, Wisk’s aircraft will provide free on-board wifi, multiple charging ports and even wireless charging pads for smartphones. Using the personal touch-screen displays, each passenger can also control some aspects of the cabin’s environment, such as the temperature and lighting. The display will also provide real-time flight information and a map, much like the flight tracking screens provided on many of today’s commercial planes.&nbsp;</p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/Wisk_Gen6_Sunset.jpeg" width="2200" height="1080" alt="Wisk's Gen 6 aircraft is pictured during sunset" title="Wisk's Gen 6 aircraft is pictured during sunset at the company's facilities in Hollister, California. (Credit: Wisk Aero)">

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            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Wisk's Gen 6 aircraft is pictured during sunset at the company's facilities in Hollister, California. (Credit: Wisk Aero)</div>
      
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<h3 class="subheading"><strong>Path to Operations</strong></h3>
<p>Wisk may be ahead of the pack when it comes to certifying a fully autonomous eVTOL air taxi, but it likely won’t be the first eVTOL air taxi provider to begin operations. That’s because the autonomous nature of the aircraft makes it more complicated to certify than other eVTOLs that have pilots on board.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While other eVTOL air taxi developers aim to have their piloted fleets up and running from 2024, Wisk’s autonomous aircraft could take several years longer to get certified for commercial operations. The company has not yet announced a timeframe in which it aims to have its self-flying air taxis certified, and Gysin declined to say when the Gen 6 might make attempt its first flight tests.</p>
<p>“This aircraft will be the first-ever candidate for certification of an all electric self-flying, four-seat, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and we've already made good progress with the FAA,” Vigneron said. He added that Wisk has submitted its G-1 certification basis to the FAA earlier this year, and that Wisk is “heavily engaged” with the FAA on its G-2 issue paper.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Last month, Wisk and its primary investor Boeing jointly published a <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-09-21/boeing-and-wisk-issue-concept-operations-urban-air-mobility">concept of operations</a>. This document spells out a path to introducing uncrewed urban air mobility services in the context of the U.S. National Airspace System.</p>
<p>Wisk Aero was <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2019-12-03/boeing-and-kitty-hawk-launch-evtol-joint-venture-wisk">founded in 2019</a> as a joint venture between Boeing and Google co-founder Larry Page's Kittyhawk, an eVTOL aircraft innovator that recently announced its intent to <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-09-22/kittyhawk-signals-its-imminent-exit-evtol-aircraft-innovation">“wind down” its operations</a>. A Wisk spokesman told <strong>FutureFlight</strong> that Kittyhawk’s closing will not impact Wisk.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Although Wisk itself is only about three years old, the company’s autonomous eVTOL technologies have been under development for more than a decade, dating back to 2011, when a company called Zee Aero flew its first-generation eVTOL technology demonstrator. Zee Aero merged with Kittyhawk in 2018, four years after Zee’s first prototype successfully demonstrated a transition from hover to wingborne flight.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Shortly after the merger, Boeing got involved, and the company has since become Wisk’s biggest investor. Wisk has not revealed exactly how much funding it has raised so far from Boeing and other sources, but earlier this year Boeing announced a <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-01-24/boeing-bets-big-evtols-450-million-funding-wisk-aero">$450 million investment</a> in Wisk.&nbsp;</p>
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Science & Technology Editor

Hanneke Weitering

Wisk Aero Unveils Four-Seat Autonomous eVTOL Air Taxi

<p>The Boeing-backed autonomous eVTOL aircraft developer Wisk this week released a concept of operations that provides a roadmap for the adoption of an urban air mobility (UAM) ecosystem with pilotless air taxis.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Wisk, which was founded in 2019 as a partnership between Boeing and Kittyhawk, is developing a fully autonomous eVTOL air taxi designed to carry up to four passengers on short trips of up to 25 miles (40 kilometers). The California-based company has conducted extensive flight tests with the unpiloted, two-seat eVTOL called <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/cora">Cora</a>, its fifth-generation prototype, and it plans to reveal its sixth-generation aircraft in October.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While Wisk has yet to provide a timeline for type certification or entry into commercial service, it&nbsp;has now spelled out in detail its approach to bringing autonomous eVTOL air taxis to market. And though the 64-page <a href="https://www.boeing.com/innovation/con-ops">concept of operations</a> (ConOps) published on September 20 is presented in the context of the U.S. National Airspace System, the document could serve as a blueprint for the global adoption of urban air mobility, according to Wisk.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“We’re working to enable a future of aerospace that is safe, sustainable, and at scale,"&nbsp;said Brian Yutko, Boeing’s vice president and chief engineer for sustainability and future mobility. "Uncrewed operations will be fundamental to realizing that vision, and we have to exceed the current safety standards for the air transportation system.”</p>
<p>Wisk’s ConOps describes how the UAM industry will need to engage with regulators, communities, and the workforce to safely and effectively integrate unpiloted air taxis into the National Airspace System by 2030.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“The vision we have outlined is the result of many years of collaboration with Boeing, the FAA, NASA, and key industry stakeholders,” said Wisk CEO Gary Gysin. “As a result, this document offers the most comprehensive framework proposed to date with a vision for enabling UAM in the national airspace.”&nbsp;</p>
<p>The document explains that existing regulations will need to be modified to enable UAM operations, particularly regarding autonomous aircraft and other novel technologies&nbsp;such as electric distributed propulsion systems.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The role of pilots will also change. Rather than having one or two of them on board, pilots will serve as “multi-vehicle operators” who remotely manage up to three simultaneous flights from an&nbsp;operations center on the ground, according to the ConOps. Their role will be supervisory in nature; because the aircraft fly autonomously, multi-vehicle operators will take control only if an intervention is required to override the automated behaviors of an aircraft, such as during an emergency or other contingency.&nbsp;</p>
<p>However, Wisk’s ConOps states that UAM vehicles should have sufficient onboard automation to safely handle any contingency scenarios—such as a mechanical failure, loss of communications, or loss of GPS signal—without human intervention. Preprogrammed emergency and contingency procedures will allow the aircraft to divert its course or land prematurely if necessary.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Multi-vehicle operators will still be responsible for establishing two-way voice communications with air traffic controllers, but the automation of some basic communication functions will streamline their activities. They will also be responsible for verifying flight plans and trajectories before and during every flight to avoid hazardous conditions, such as bad weather, air traffic, and other obstacles. However, the aircraft’s highly automated flight control systems will handle navigation and hazard avoidance. Preplanned and dedicated UAM flight routes, though not essential, would contribute to greater operational efficiency and reduce the need for interventions due to conflicts with air traffic control.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Wisk’s ConOps also describes what sort of infrastructure will be necessary for communities to effectively utilize UAM, such as the fleet operations centers and vertiports where the aircraft will take off and land. The UAM vertiports, whether they be newly constructed facilities or repurposed existing helipads and airports, will need to provide charging stations for electric aircraft and security checkpoints for passengers, as well as maintenance personnel. Smaller so-called vertistops, much like so-called helistops for helicopters, can be located on rooftops of buildings or parking garages to help meet the demand in crowded city centers, the ConOps states.</p>
<p>“The UAM industry will need to work with states, cities, and economic development organizations to effectively evaluate, plan, and implement the changes that will be required to safely and seamlessly integrate UAM into the airspace. Ultimately, public acceptance of uncrewed UAM operations will be crucial to scaling the market,” the document states.</p>
<p>Looking beyond what’s required to initiate and scale UAM services, the ConOps also paints a picture of what the day-to-day business operations and passenger journeys will entail. According to the document, air taxi passengers will book flights through an online application that also provides the option for additional ground transportation as needed to carry passengers to and from vertiports. Once they arrive at the vertiport, they will go through a security checkpoint and weight checks before being escorted to the aircraft.&nbsp;</p>
<p>On the aircraft, passengers will be required to remain seated at all times. In case of an emergency, such as a medical issue, passengers will be able to push a button that connects them to remote hospitality personnel. If necessary, this feature can be used to trigger contingency or emergency scenarios that would require the aircraft to land early.&nbsp;</p>
<p>For the UAM ecosystem to work, the general public “will need to be convinced that traveling on UAM aircraft will be safe, reliable, and save them time and money,” the ConOps states.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“With collaboration, engineering excellence, and a safety mindset, Boeing and Wisk, alongside their respective partners, intend to lead the advancement of the UAM industry to achieve a future state where safe and affordable&nbsp;everyday flight can be available to everyone.”</p>


Boeing and Wisk Issue Concept of Operations for Urban Air Mobility

<p><span><span><span>Wisk Aero is advancing its plans for fully&nbsp;autonomous eVTOL air transport services through a new partnership with ground infrastructure and drone operations group Skyports. Announcing their collaboration on April 12, the companies published a draft concept of operations (ConOps) that they say is the first such document to map out how autonomous aircraft can be integrated with vertiports and how they will interact with the so-called providers of services for urban air mobility (PSUs).</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Over the past couple of years, California-based Wisk has flight-tested its Cora&nbsp;two-seat autonomous eVTOL vehicle in the U.S. and New Zealand, logging more than 1,550 flights with this vehicle and earlier designs. It says it is working on&nbsp;a larger&nbsp;and possibly longer-range&nbsp;eVTOL aircraft but has declined to publish any performance details or specifications.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>In January, Wisk received a $450 million investment from aerospace and defense giant Boeing, which jointly owns the company with Kitty Hawk. It has yet to publish a timeline for certifying the&nbsp;aircraft that it intends to operate itself. In February it said that it is working with the Southern California&nbsp;city of Long Beach on plans for urban air mobility (UAM) services. According to a spokesman, it is also considering other prospective cities, such as Los Angeles, New York, Paris, London, and Tokyo.</span></span></span></p>
<p>Wisk and Skyports hope that their proposed ConOps will be widely accepted as an industry-wide blueprint for autonomous eVTOL services. The partners say they will use the document as the basis for engagement with other companies in the advanced air mobility sector, as well as regulators and other stakeholders.</p>
<p><span><span><span>“We are excited to partner with Skyports, a leader in vertiports and UAM infrastructure,” said Wisk CEO Gary Gysin. “It is critical that future operations are autonomous for safety, scalability, and affordability. With this ConOps, Wisk and Skyports are helping to define those future operations while ensuring the long-term success and full potential of this industry.”</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>While acknowledging that most advanced air mobility services using eVTOL aircraft will begin with pilots on board, Wisk and Skyports maintain that autonomous operations will eventually take hold as the main basis for achieving a more-affordable, large-scale market for passenger transportation. Their partnership, which is effectively being kick-started with the release of the ConOps for consultation with stakeholders, is aimed at preparing for the new aircraft to be safely integrated with all the required supporting infrastructure.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>The ConOps document outlines how existing infrastructure and air transportation procedures will need to be upgraded and retrofitted to take into account&nbsp;safety requirements for autonomous flights. It also addresses how the partners see autonomous eVTOL vehicles interacting with new purpose-built UAM infrastructure that will need to be designed to work with various aircraft types and multiple operators with diverse business models.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>UK-based Skyports already has partnerships to develop UAM infrastructure and services with several other companies, including eVTOL aircraft developer Eve and South Korea’s Hanwha group. In March, it completed a $23 million Series B funding round to support its plans to develop vertiports in countries worldwide.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>“It is important that the infrastructure built today can accommodate the aircraft of tomorrow,” said Skyports CEO Duncan Walker. “We are thrilled to be partnered with Wisk as they push the bounds of aircraft systems innovation. This ConOps and our continued work on the development of vehicle-agnostic vertiports and ground-based infrastructure will ensure that this industry is well prepared to safely integrate autonomous operations.”</span></span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Wisk Aero

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eVTOL Aircraft Developers Wisk and Lilium Make Leadership Changes

Wisk Aero Explains How Its New Four-Seat Autonomous eVTOL Air Taxi Will Work

Wisk Aero Unveils Four-Seat Autonomous eVTOL Air Taxi

Boeing and Wisk Issue Concept of Operations for Urban Air Mobility

Wisk and Skyports Issue Concept of Operations for Autonomous eVTOL Aircraft Flights

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