Wisk to supply Blade with up to 30 eVTOL aircraft, to be used on short-distance routes across USA terminals
Wisk will provide, operate and maintain up to 30 eVTOL aircraft for Blade Urban Air Mobility, as part of a new agreement between the two companies. They will be used on short-distance routes between Blade’s network of terminals throughout the USA, following certification from the FAA.
Blade and Wisk will also form a working group to assist in the deployment of technologies necessary for aircraft charging and next-generation air traffic management. This will leverage Blade’s six years of experience with urban air mobility services in the most congested markets, to inform Wisk on future design principles.
Wisk, which is a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk — plans to begin initial test flights in Blade’s key service areas when possible.
Gary Gysin, CEO of Wisk, said: “This arrangement validates that UAM is the future of mobility. To date, we have been focused on developing an aircraft and customer experience that is efficient, accessible, and — most importantly — safe.
“The combination of our expertise as an autonomous eVTOL aircraft manufacturer and operator, with the operational expertise of Blade, will help usher in an even greater level of safety and service.”
Wisk is currently developing its all-electric, self-flying eVTOL aircraft, named Cora. It is powered by 12 independent lift fans and flies approximately 1,500ft above ground. It has a range of about 40km, reaching a top speed of 160km/h.
A spokesperson for Wisk told eVTOL Insights that it plans to use a 6th Generation aircraft for this service, which will be revealed soon.
It will be chartered by Blade at an hourly rate on those routes. The eVTOL aircraft developer will be compensated based on Blade flight time utilised on the aircraft, which will be owned, operated, and maintained by Wisk for Blade’s use.
The company has already completed more than 1,500 flights and will conduct a first-of-its-kind autonomous passenger trial in New Zealand later this year.
Blade expects to leverage its existing flight volumes to provide minimum flight hour guarantees to Wisk, while Wisk’s deployment of its aircraft on Blade routes is subject to the parties entering into definitive agreements.
Rob Wiesenthal, CEO of Blade, said: “We look forward to working with Wisk to help accelerate Blade’s transition from conventional rotorcraft to safe, quiet, emission-free Electric Vertical Aircraft,” said Rob Wiesenthal, CEO of Blade.
Will Heyburn, CFO and Head of Corporate Development for Blade, added: “The Wisk-Blade arrangement is a perfect fit for our asset light model. Backed by Boeing’s deep aerospace experience, Wisk will own, operate and maintain their aircraft as part of our network, allowing Blade to focus on delivering a great experience to our fliers.”
Wisk intends to provide aircraft to multiple customer-facing platforms, while Blade expects to utilise a variety of all-electric aircraft, based on mission requirements.
As well as using Wisk’s aircraft, Blade will also deploy Beta Technologies’ eVTOL aircraft, ALIA. The company placed a 20-strong order last month, with Beta also providing and installing charging infrastructure.
