Wisk Partners With the City of Fullerton to Advance Autonomous Air Mobility in Southern California

Wisk Aero, an autonomous aviation company, today announced a strategic partnership with the City of Fullerton, California to collaborate on potential future opportunities for infrastructure development for autonomous air taxis at Fullerton Municipal Airport. The collaboration, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), establishes a framework for operations for Wisk’s autonomous, all-electric, air taxi service in the Los Angeles-Orange County metropolitan area.

Under the MOU, Wisk and the City of Fullerton (FUL) will collaborate across a series of key projects, including:

• Infrastructure and Planning: Wisk will provide technical advice for the City of Fullerton to consider on vertiport needs for its autonomous operations, including requirements for Instrument Flight Rules routes. FUL will incorporate autonomous AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) and UAM (Urban Air Mobility) into its strategic planning for the airport, electrical grid, and airspace, while also developing policy pathways for operations, such as permitting and community noise level guidelines.
• Operational and Commercial Planning: Jointly evaluate infrastructure and planning considerations, explore opportunities for training and maintenance facilities at FUL airport, and define commercial terms for Wisk’s operations.
• Policy and Regulation: Jointly review current municipal policies and land-use codes to recommend necessary amendments to enable future autonomous AAM operations.
• Regional Collaboration: Explore collaborations with other potential vertiport sites across Southern California to facilitate route planning and support applications for federal, state, and local grants to fund infrastructure development.

Jeff Ball, President and CEO of the Orange County Business Council, said, “The Orange County Business Council continues to advocate for innovative technologies that drive our region’s economic competitiveness. The partnership between Wisk and the City of Fullerton is a powerful example of the forward-thinking collaborations that will keep Orange County at the forefront of technology and transportation. This milestone marks the beginning of a sustainable air mobility ecosystem—one that will create high-quality jobs, strengthen connections between communities, and further position Orange County as a leader in the future of mobility.”

Emilien Marchand, Regional Lead of Ecosystem Partnerships at Wisk, added, “This partnership with the City of Fullerton is representative of the practical steps needed to bring autonomous flight to life. Our work together will not only assess the feasibility of AAM at FUL, but also help define the standards and processes for the entire industry. We’re building a blueprint for how cities can successfully integrate AAM into their transportation networks for the long term, and we’re excited about the potential across the Southern California region.”

Building on Wisk’s long-standing collaboration with the City of Long Beach and historic public flight demonstration in October 2023, this partnership with the City of Fullerton is a crucial step in Wisk’s commitment to the Los Angeles-Orange County metropolitan area. The agreement with FUL will also unlock potential partnerships with other vertiport sites to create a regional network that will eventually serve passengers throughout this densely populated region. We are dedicated to continuing this vital work to prepare Southern California for future autonomous air taxi operations.