Wisk Aero Partners with Long Beach to Bring Advanced Air Mobility to Southern California

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) leader Wisk Aero, developer of the first all-electric, self-flying air taxi in the United States, has formed a partnership with the City of Long Beach, California through its Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP) with the goal of bringing AAM to Southern California.

This new partnership will see the two organizations collaborate on the creation of an AAM working group consisting of leaders in business, local government, and the community. The group, which will be co-chaired by Wisk and LBEP for an initial two-year term, will be dedicated to the evaluation, planning, and implementation of AAM in Long Beach, with an emphasis on autonomous flight. During this two year term, the working group will explore four key areas, including an analysis of the economic impact and workforce development, community acceptance and outreach, integration of autonomous AAM into city transportation plans, and federal and state government funding opportunities.

LBEP, with support from Wisk, will organize the development of an Economic Impact Study. Conducted by the Cal State Long Beach (CSULB) Office of Economic Research, the study will estimate the annual economic impact of AAM operations in Southern California and other regional state economies, with results expected to be completed later this year

“We are excited to work with the City of Long Beach and LBEP in this unique partnership,” said Wisk CEO Gary Gysin. “With its rich aerospace past, current resurgence via Space Beach, and its central position in the LA Metro area, Long Beach is an ideal city for all-electric, autonomous urban flight opportunities. Through this partnership, Long Beach has the opportunity to be one of the first cities to realize the economic and environmental benefits of AAM, as well as to lead Southern California, and the United States, in autonomous, all-electric AAM.”

“Aerospace innovation has always been a strong part of Long Beach history,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “We have produced some of the world’s most modern aircraft, are leading in the space economy, and will now be home to new technologies in Advanced Air Mobility. We look forward to our partnership with Wisk and are proud of our local workforce who are educated, trained, and poised to make progress on these innovations.”

“Long Beach has long been a center of aerospace culture and capabilities,” said Randal Hernandez, co-chair of the working group, immediate past chair of the Long Beach Economic Partnership and former chairman of the City of Long Beach’s Economic Development Commission. “Autonomous, all-electric AAM represents the next revolution in commercial aviation and promises significant economic benefits with minimal environmental impact. We are proud to partner with an AAM leader like Wisk to further explore the benefits that AAM can bring to the City of Long Beach, the southern California region, and the state as a whole.”

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Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.