Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) firm Wisk Aero, developer of the first all-electric, self-flying air taxi in the United States, and Skyports Infrastructure (Skyports), a vertiport infrastructure specialist, are expanding their partnership to identify an entry-into-service (EIS) network for Wisk’s autonomous Generation 6 aircraft in the South East Queensland (SEQ) region of Australia.
The latest agreement builds on an existing partnership between Wisk and Skyports, announced in 2022, which marked the first collaboration between a vertiport developer-operator and an autonomous eVTOL developer. The new partnership furthers Wisk’s work with the Council of Mayors (SEQ), which began in 2022 as a means of working together to introduce safe, sustainable, and scalable, autonomous air taxi service to South East Queensland. As part of the new agreement, Wisk and Skyports will collaborate to determine locations for a viable vertiport network for SEQ.
SEQ is home to 4 million people and over the next 20 years the region will be home to 6 million people. The region is undergoing rapid and extensive development ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Wisk and Skyports’ partnership will identify opportunities for the safe development and scale-up of AAM services to complement other transport investments, support tourism, and connect communities across the region.
“Skyports has already been a strong partner to Wisk, and we are proud to build on the work we’re doing already, this time in Australia,” said Brian Yutko, Wisk CEO. “Wisk is committed to bringing safe, emissions-free aviation to Queensland, and this partnership will get us one step closer to making our goal a reality.”
Working collaboratively, Wisk and Skyports will undertake a complex analysis of regional travel patterns, identify candidate vertiport sites, conduct feasibility studies, and engage with prospective landlords and nearby communities. This last step is vital to the successful introduction of Wisk’s urban air taxi service. The ultimate goal of this project is the development of a thorough business case to support the development of the necessary vertiport infrastructure.
Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports, said, “We’re pleased to publicly announce the work we are undertaking with Wisk to facilitate the launch of AAM services on Australia’s eastern coast. This collaboration will leverage our combined expertise to develop a robust, scalable infrastructure network to enable safe, efficient air taxi services for communities and visitors across the South East Queensland region.”
Scott Smith, CEO of Council of Mayors (SEQ), said, “It’s great to see South East Queensland continue to attract innovative technologies and investment. The advanced air mobility (AAM) sector is an exciting new development for South East Queensland and is expected to contribute over A$66bn ($44bn) to the Australian Economy, or 3.1% of national GDP, by 2040. We’re excited to see this evolving industry bring high-value local jobs to SEQ and support improved services like medical and tourism. To secure our place as a global destination, we must be at the forefront of adopting emerging technologies.”
