Sugar Land, Texas, and Wisk Launch Autonomous Air Taxi Service in Houston Area

SUGAR LAND, TX – – Wisk Aero, a frontrunner in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), has partnered with the City of Sugar Land, Texas, to introduce autonomous air mobility to the Greater Houston area. Through this collaboration, they plan to evaluate and select a site at Sugar Land Regional Airport to build vertiport infrastructure that supports  Wisk’s autonomous air taxi services. This preliminary partnership is poised to pave the way for a broader network, enhancing connectivity across the Greater Houston region.

Wisk, a pioneer in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), is committed to providing everyone with safe, daily flight options. Its autonomous eVTOL air taxis are designed to bypass traffic, enabling quicker travel. As a Boeing subsidiary, Wisk operates globally from its main office in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Brian Yutko, the CEO of Wisk, highlighted the rapid population growth in the Greater Houston area as a catalyst for innovative transportation solutions. He praised Sugar Land’s advantageous location and visionary leadership, deeming it a prime candidate for pioneering air taxi services. Yutko expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with Sugar Land, regional stakeholders, and the FAA to develop necessary ground and air infrastructure, to launch autonomous air taxi services in the region.

Michael W. Goodrum, the City Manager of Sugar Land, emphasized the city’s dedication to pioneering new paths and capturing the private sector’s interest with innovative mobility initiatives, such as Advanced Air Mobility. He expressed excitement about partnering with Wisk Aero to revolutionize travel locally and globally. Goodrum believes Sugar Land is the ideal starting point for such innovations in the Houston region, highlighting the city’s embrace of innovation, creativity, and change and praising Wisk Aero as a perfect partner for this venture.

The Wisk electric aircraft has the capacity to hold up to four passengers and provides a generous amount of luggage space. Wisk sets itself apart from its competitors as their air taxis are the first autonomous eVTOLs in the world.

These eVTOLs, which take off vertically like helicopters but without the use of combustion engines, are considerably quieter. This makes them more suitable for landing in densely populated areas. A lot of experts in the aviation industry believe that this could be the next major advancement in transportation and could potentially reduce traffic congestion in many metropolitan areas across the U.S.

Wisk and Sugar Land are set to undertake various initiatives to fulfill their joint objectives.

• Wisk will advise on technical needs for autonomous eVTOL operations, including infrastructure, training, ground operational procedures, and plans for potential site expansion.
• Sugar Land will focus on integrating AAM into its long-term plans, championing community engagement, and establishing operational policies, such as infrastructure permitting and noise levels.
• Together, the two organizations will explore incorporating maintenance and training facilities in Sugar Land and engage local and regional stakeholders to develop routes that connect Sugar Land to the Greater Houston region, such as downtown Houston and the Houston Airport System.

Before today’s announcement, Wisk spent the past 18 months actively developing an ecosystem of stakeholders and local relationships that will play a critical role under this new agreement and in helping achieve long-term success for future air taxi services.

 Sugar Land Regional Airport (SGR) stands out in corporate aviation, serving corporate and general aviation needs with 75,000 annual operations and a capacity of 268,000. Its 8,000-foot runway accommodates large jets and acts as a supplementary airport for Houston’s major airports. It significantly contributes to the local economy and property tax base by offering high-end amenities like GlobalSelect FBO services, on-site customs, and a luxury terminal. The airport is favored by Fortune 500 companies, enhancing Sugar Land’s appeal for business headquarters with its strategic location and quality services.