Boeing-owned Wisk hopes to start carrying passengers “later in the decade” By Reuters

By Abhijith Ganapavaram

FARNBOROUGH, England (Reuters) – Boeing-owned Wisk Aero expects its pilotless air taxi to begin carrying passengers “later in the decade” as it works with U.S. regulators to secure approvals, its chief executive said on Monday, amid skepticism among industry analysts about certification timelines.

Wisk is one of several manufacturers of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that have emerged in recent years with the promise of providing an environmentally friendly mode of transportation in congested cities.

But the industry faces technological hurdles, such as making batteries powerful enough for companies to make more trips on a single charge. They also need to convince regulators and the public that the aircraft are safe — a barrier that is greater when the aircraft is autonomous.

Wisk is developing a four-seat autonomous aircraft that will have a range of 90 miles (145 kilometers).

“We are currently testing and producing the elements of this aircraft that we expect to fly later this year,” CEO Brian Yutko told reporters at the Farnborough Airshow.

Wisk's strategy is a departure from other major air taxi makers, which are developing models that will require a pilot to fly the aircraft. The company has said that operators of its planes will save on pilot costs.

But industry experts at Bain say fully autonomous passenger flight is not expected before the late 2030s and that pilotless planes will face competition from autonomous vehicles on the road.

“Maximizing passenger occupancy and avoiding empty return journeys will be crucial to operators' profitability,” said Mattia Celli, one of the authors of the Bain report.

Mountain View, California-based Wisk was previously a joint venture between Boeing (NYSE:) and Kitty Hawk Corp. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of the U.S. aircraft maker last year.