Archerfield Airport Corporation (AAC) and Wisk Aero are to embark on a variety of projects aimed at developing the AAM ecosystem and operations at Brisbane’s Archerfield airport. Kickstarting this relationship is an electrification project that will determine the electrical and infrastructure requirements and facilities needed to support eVTOL operations.

AAC executive general manager Rod Parry says the airport is uniquely well-placed to service the emerging AAM sector: “Archerfield's central location only 11 kilometres from Brisbane’s CBD and between three 2032 Olympic and Paralympic zones, along with its recent $20 million infrastructure upgrade and critical mass of aeronautical expertise, positions it perfectly to become a primary node in the AAM ecosystem, providing the facilities for eVTOL recharging, maintenance and other services. By the time of Brisbane’s Olympic Games, eVTOLs will likely be providing essential emissions-free transport services from vertiports around the region, keeping traffic off our busy roads and ensuring the efficient transfer of personnel to key sites throughout South East Queensland.”

Parry adds that the agreement with Wisk Aero is a ‘back to the future’ moment for the historic airport: “Archerfield was at the forefront of aviation technology in the 1930s when the industry transformed Australia. Archerfield airport will be back at the cusp of innovation through the adoption of AAM, delivering fast, safe, quiet, eco-friendly, on demand aviation alternatives adaptable to a wide range of applications that will be vital as Queensland continues to grow rapidly.”

A wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing, Wisk Aero is headquartered in San Francisco with a presence throughout the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Poland. To date, it has conducted more than 1,750 test flights of its all-electric, autonomous, four-seat eVTOL aircraft.

“Wisk is committed to bringing safe, sustainable and scalable autonomous air taxis to South East Queensland,” says Dan Parsons, manager of market development. “Archerfield is at the forefront of facilitating the AAM ecosystem within Brisbane, and we’re excited to partner to evaluate potential future Wisk operations and airspace integration at its site, one of the major private airports in the region.”

Capping an exciting week for Archerfield, the airport has just been named 2024 Metropolitan Airport of the Year at the Australian Airports Association’s National Airport Industry Awards, in recognition of a dynamic year of growth that delivered vital new infrastructure and economic diversification, including the design and construction of its largest ever hangar complex, the $26 million LifeFlight Clive Berghofer Maintenance Centre; extending facilities for FBOs; and development and integration of Transition-Archerfield Logistics Estate.