Air taxi could be flying the skies in New Zealand within ‘5 to 10 years’ – Stuff

A new four-person flying taxi that could cost Kiwis as little as $3 per kilometre to use has been revealed.

Wisk Aero has released a prototype of its aircraft that will rise like a helicopter and fly like a plane.

Air New Zealands CEO Greg Foran was recently in California checking out the new four-seater aircraft which has only just been revealed to the public.

Wisk, which tested earlier versions of the aircraft in New Zealand, has confirmed its new look sixth-generation model will be the one that goes into production. Its the worlds first self-flying all-electric vertical and take-off aircraft that can fit four people.

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Wisk

The new four-person air taxi is designed by Wisk Aero.

Wisk has previously revealed to Stuff Travel that at least one New Zealand city is amongst the first 20 on its radar, and it expects to be flying here within "five to 10 years but it wont reveal finer details.

The sixth-generation model cruises at around 120 knots (222kph) and has a range of 144 kilometres, with reserves. Itll fly at an altitude of 2500 to 4000 feet (762 to 1219 metres).

Wisk said it had a price target of USD$3 per passenger, per mile. Thats the equivalent to roughly NZD$3 per kilometre.

Testing of earlier Wisk models took place in Canterbury over recent years, with Stuff Travel witnessing a test flight at Tekapo Airport in 2019. The company has partnered with the New Zealand Government to progress its trials, and with Air New Zealand which may eventually introduce them to its fleet.

More than 1500 test flights have so far taken place both in New Zealand and at its base in the United States.

Flight testing in New Zealand has wrapped up for now, and the focus here has moved to an "Airspace Integration Trial Programme.

Wisk

Wisk hopes to have the aircraft in service in five to 10 years.

Wisk said its pilotless aircraft will be one of the safest systems in aviation and is being designed to exceed todays rigorous aviation safety standards of a one-in-a-billion chance of an accident.

The company said the plane has fully redundant systems, and no single point of failure.

Each flight will be overseen by a multi-vehicle supervisor, who can intervene if needed.

Wisk has an impressive list of partners, including Nasa and Boeing - which recently announced it was investing NZ$790 million (US$450m) in the company.

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Air taxi could be flying the skies in New Zealand within '5 to 10 years' - Stuff