Wisk Aero Wants Self-Flying Air Taxis in Long Beach, California

Wisk Aero has partnered with community leaders to pave the way for bringing self-flying electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to the city.

Thom Patterson

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at 01:01 PM ET

Verified

Wisk Aero is the latest eVTOL player to partner with community leaders in Southern California. [Courtesy: Wisk Aero]

Key Takeaways:

Wisk Aero has partnered with Long Beach leaders to develop and implement autonomous, self-flying electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi services in the city.
The partnership aims to evaluate the potential economic and job market impacts, as well as community acceptance of zero-emissions, autonomous air taxis for short-distance travel.
Southern California is emerging as a key region for the air taxi industry, attracting multiple eVTOL developers due to factors like suitable climate, congested traffic, and a history of embracing green technology.
Wisk emphasizes autonomous flight from the start, claiming it will be safer and more cost-effective than piloted operations, distinguishing its approach from competitors who plan to transition to automation later.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Offering another signal that Southern California could be an important cradle for the emerging air taxi industry, Wisk Aero has partnered with community leaders to pave the way for bringing self-flying electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to Long Beach.

In its announcement Wednesday, the Boeing-backed eVTOL developer said its agreement with the Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP) aims to create a larger working group made up of business, local government, and community leaders to focus on evaluating, planning, and implementing air taxi service “with a focus on autonomous flight.”