Wisk Aero, developer of the first all-electric, self-flying air taxi in the U.S., has announced a partnership with the Council of Mayors South East Queensland to rollout an autonomous air taxi service in the region.
Wisk has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Council of Mayors, which will see the two organizations work together to introduce a safe, sustainable, and scalable, autonomous air taxi service to South East Queensland. In addition to the new partnership, the company will also be expanding its physical presence in the country, by hiring Australia-based personnel.
According to Wisk, the intention is for its presence in Queensland to be long-term, and will be working with local government to provide the city with green tourism and transport options.
Gary Gysin, Chief Executive Officer of Wisk, said: “We are proud to engage with forward-thinking local leaders, like the Council of Mayors, to advance the introduction of AAM and benefit not only Wisk, but local communities and the industry as a whole. This is an exciting time for us, as we continue our momentum and expand our global presence. We look forward to building on the strong relationships we have in Australia to make safe, all-electric, autonomous flight a reality.”
Lord Mayor Cr Adrian Schrinner, commented: “Strong collaboration between our Councils is critical to ensure the industry understands the needs of our communities. It also enables our Councils to support, wherever possible, a consistent and collaborative approach to things like planning and regulation that will be critical to investment and rollout across our region. Council of Mayors kickstarted our Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games journey because we knew it would attract global businesses and innovative industries to our region, bringing with it new jobs and new economic opportunities. On the back of the Brisbane 2032 Games, we’re delighted to be working with Wisk to look at how South East Queensland can capitalise off the new jobs and economic opportunities associated with this new and exciting industry. We expect to see the emergence of advanced air technology in places like Paris and Los Angeles, and by 2032 I’d love to see it supporting new and innovative experiences for tourism and travel in South East Queensland.”
Wisk’s Asia Pacific Regional Director, Catherine MacGowan, added: “This new partnership is a great starting point for our expansion across Australasia. Our work has the potential to accelerate the introduction of emissions-free aviation, help reduce transport-driven carbon emissions, and realize the benefits of AAM for the Queensland state economy and the wellbeing of its citizens.”
