FIA: Wisk and Skyports look to establish vertiport network in Australia
Wisk and Skyports Infrastructure are expanding their partnership to identify an entry-into-service (EIS) network for Wisk’s aircraft in the South East Queensland (SEQ) region of Australia.
The latest agreement, announced today at Farnborough International Airshow, builds on an existing agreement between Wisk and Skyports from 2022, which marked the first collaboration between a vertiport developer-operator and an autonomous eVTOL OEM. As part of the new agreement, Wisk and Skyports will determine locations for a vertiport network throughout SEQ.
The region of Queensland is home to 4m people and over the next 20 years the population is forecasted to grow to 6m people. The region is also undergoing rapid and extensive development ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games which makes it well suited to Wisk and Skyports’ plans.
“Brisbane is an ideal location for AAM operations,” a spokesperson for Wisk told us. “Our initial vertiport network will supplement existing transport corridors offering a viable transport alternative for SEQ’s residents and visitors. A mature vertiport network will add new transport connections across existing corridors, between regions, and between communities currently separated by geographic barriers [e.g. bays & waterways].”
Wisk and Skyports will compete an analysis of regional travel patterns, identify candidate vertiport sites, conduct feasibility studies and engage with prospective landlords and nearby communities. Wisk said this last step is vital to the successful introduction of its urban air taxi service. The ultimate goal of this project is the development of a thorough business case to support the development of the necessary vertiport infrastructure.
“Skyports will bring its extensive expertise in the planning, design, development and operation of vertiports. Wisk brings strong existing relationships, including the Council of Mayors (SEQ), and understanding of the region to this partnership,” the spokesperson told us.
Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports, added: “We’re pleased to publicly announce the work we are undertaking with Wisk to facilitate the launch of AAM services on Australia’s eastern coast. This collaboration will leverage our combined expertise to develop a robust, scalable infrastructure network to enable safe, efficient air taxi services for communities and visitors across the South East Queensland region.”
Scott Smith, CEO of Council of Mayors (SEQ) said: “It’s great to see South East Queensland continue to attract innovative technologies and investment. The AAM sector is an exciting new development for South East Queensland and is expected to contribute over $66 billion to the Australian Economy, or 3.1% of national GDP, by 2040.”
