Wisk Aero has expanded its network of cities seeking to be early adopters of autonomous air taxi services using its eVTOL vehicle. On Monday at the Paris Air Show, the Boeing subsidiary signed agreements with officials from Miami and Kaga, Japan.
The partnership with Kaga also includes the JAL Engineering subsidiary of Japan Airlines, which is already collaborating with Wisk. The city is located in Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture, which has a population of more than one million people.
Kaga officials and JAL Engineering will support California-based Wisk with including regulatory approval of eVTOL flights without pilots on board. They will also focus on the development of supply chains and manufacturing opportunities, as well as social acceptance of advanced air mobility, market analysis, and development.
Wisk’s agreement in Florida is with the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) and the University of Miami’s Engineering Autonomy Mobility Initiative. The university will support Wisk with research and development work on technology, regulations, and safety for advanced air mobility.
Under the memorandum of understanding with MDAD, the partners will assess locations for eVTOL operations, including possible vertiports at Miami International, Miami Executive, and Opa Locka Executive airports. Wisk will provide technical guidance on vertiport requirements for pilotless flights of its four-passenger vehicle.
There are now five cities and regions in Wisk’s international network of partners. Previous agreements have been made with Houston, Texas; Los Angeles; and Brisbane, Australia.
Earlier this month, Wisk announced the acquisition of Houston-based SkyGrid. It said the company will support operations of its Generation 6 aircraft by providing real-time situational awareness and seamless airspace integration.
According to Wisk CEO Sebastien Vigneron, the company is almost ready to start flight testing the first Generation 6 prototype. Ground testing of the prototype is nearly complete, and the company is now building a second example of the vehicle.