Breaking New Ground: The Challenge of Certifying Autonomous Aircraft

Wisk Aero believes its self-flying Generation-6 air taxi could be safer than piloted flight.

Jack Daleo

Friday, April 03, 2026 at 03:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Wisk Aero Generation 6 aircraft [CreditL Wisk Aero]

Key Takeaways:

Wisk Aero is uniquely developing its Generation 6 eVTOL for fully autonomous flight from its initial launch, a "clean-sheet" approach differing from competitors planning for future autonomy.
This "autonomy-first" strategy is chosen for long-term efficiency and safety, aiming to avoid complex retrofitting challenges and ensure robust safety standards from the outset.
Wisk intends to prove autonomous operations are as safe as, or safer than, piloted flight through extensive testing, and views integrating autonomous aircraft seamlessly into existing airspace as its primary challenge, a goal they hope to advance via the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program.

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Owing to the novelty of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) technology, the FAA is requiring air taxi developers such as Archer Aviation, Joby Aviation, and Beta Technologies to complete a gauntlet of testing. One of them, Boeing’s Wisk Aero, is building an aircraft that incorporates not just VTOL but another emerging technology—autonomy.

Unlike Archer’s Midnight, Joby’s S4, or Beta’s Alia, Wisk’s Generation 6 is designed to fly autonomously from the jump. The all-electric, four-passenger design will use a combination of computers, predictive hardware and software, radar, sensors, and ground links to fly predefined routes, which will be overseen by remote Multi-Vehicle Supervisors. According to Wisk, though, it will be able to detect and avoid other aircraft on its own.