Boeing recently invested an additional $450 million in Wisk, a 2019 joint venture between Boeing and air taxi startup Kitty Hawk.
Wisk's objective is to build the first autonomous air taxi. Their prototype is pictured below.
And yes, this means Wisk hopes their air taxi will not need a pilot. Key quote from Wisk's press release on the Boeing investment:
"Wisk's 6th generation eVTOL aircraft will represent a first-ever candidate for the certification of an autonomous, all-electric, passenger-carrying aircraft in the U.S."
Wisk isn't the only air taxi firm looking for certification for their aircraft.
Joby Aviation has filed permits for a series of high-profile air taxi flights over San Francisco Bay.
The flights would not carry passengers and would be piloted remotely as a drone from nearby ground stations.
Airlines seem to believe air taxis are likely to enter the market soon.
According to Bloomberg's No, Really, Flying Taxis Are Getting Close to Takeoff, airlines have ordered more than 1500 air taxis in the past 2 years. Key article quote on why:
"The carriers see the craft as the ideal means of transporting rich travelers and corporate passengers to and from the airport, loosening the grip of the car, train, and taxicab on drop-offs while improving the customer experience."
And McKinsey is quite bullish on the industry. Their recent article on air mobility says air taxis will be flying by 2024 and:
"By 2030, the leading companies in the passenger AAM (advanced air mobility) industry could have bigger fleets—and offer many more flights per day—than the world’s largest airlines."
So flying taxis are just around the corner - again.
But progress is being made, and this time air taxis may soon be in the air.
