The U.S. developer of autonomous electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, teamed with the leading international airline Japan Airlines (JAL) to enable Wisk autonomous electric air taxi services to Japan, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which includes the collaboration framework between both companies and also Japanese government agencies and the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB). Furthermore, it includes safety measures, type certification approval in Japan, maintenance, repair, and overhaul requirements as well as regulatory requirements. Plans for the maintenance and operation of the air taxis will be developed by Wisk Aero and JAL Engineering (JALEC).
As said by the CEO of Wisk, Brian Yutko, “We are excited to be partnering with Japan Airlines, a highly-respected leader in aviation both in Japan and globally,”, adding that “Wisk and Japan Airlines share a commitment to safe, accessible transportation and to ensuring that our services provide long-term benefit to the communities that we serve. We look forward to working together to bring autonomous everyday flight to Japan and to further advancing Advanced Air Mobility in the broader APAC region.”.
In addition, Catherine MacGowan, Wisk’s director for the APAC region, stated that “We are thrilled to be announcing this new partnership with Japan Airlines, a partner that so closely shares our values,”, and that “Japan represents a large, densely populated market where air taxi services can provide a real, positive impact for local communities. We look forward to further pursuing the potential introduction of our self-flying, all-electric air taxis in Japan, and are encouraged by the growing interest within the broader APAC region for these types of services.”
Furthermore, the CEO of JALEC, Ryo Tamura, commented that “We are very honored to partner with Wisk, a pioneer in autonomous eVTOL aircraft development. In Japan, the introduction of autonomous air travel is developing and we strongly feel that this partnership with Wisk is the first step towards the development of the next generation of safe air mobility in Japan,”
Wisk Aero is an advanced air mobility company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, US. The company is focusing on providing solutions that deliver safe, self-flying, and ell-electric flights, and already has an experience of over 1600 test flights. Wisk is a joint venture between Boeing Company and Kitty Hawk Corporation.
