Xwing Says The Future of Air Transportation Is Autonomous, But How Close Is That Future?

FLYING speaks with the company’s product lead to get a look at its roadmap.

Michael Wildes

Thursday, April 07, 2022 at 10:15 AM ET

Verified

The Xwing staff working on one of its aircraft. [Courtesy: Xwing]

Key Takeaways:

Xwing has successfully demonstrated autonomous flight operations, including taxi, takeoff, and landing, of a Cessna Caravan, controlled remotely with an onboard safety pilot.
The company's strategy focuses on developing platform-agnostic autonomous technology, initially for the air cargo market, to address pilot shortages, reduce operational costs, and increase efficiency in regional air mobility.
Xwing is taking an incremental, "cargo-first" approach to build public trust and collaborate with regulators, leveraging advanced sensor systems for safety and situational awareness.
Continued development will focus on enhancing sensor technology for diverse environmental conditions and establishing automated communication protocols with Air Traffic Control for full operational integration.

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In February 2021, social media came abuzz when the startup company Xwing released footage of its experimental Cessna 208B Grand Caravan exiting its hangar at Buchanan Field in Concord, California, which then taxied, departed, landed, and taxied back to the hangar entirely on its own.

The video shows an overseeing pilot on board, who was only there to comply with regulatory requirements, and transfer flight controls to Xwing’s Mission Control Center that was remotely located on the field.