SEATTLE — Boeing is selling its Wisk Aero electric aircraft business and two other aviation technology units to Archer Aviation in exchange for a 19.75% stake in the air-taxi company, in a deal that will deepen cooperation between the aerospace giants while reducing Boeing’s direct exposure to the emerging electric aircraft market.
The transaction, announced by Archer on Monday, includes Wisk, which is developing autonomous electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, drone maker Insitu and autonomous airspace-services provider SkyGrid. Boeing will also receive the right to appoint a director to Archer’s board.
The deal gives Archer access to Wisk’s autonomous-flight technology as it seeks to develop commercial air-taxi operations and expand into defense and logistics markets. Archer Chief Executive Adam Goldstein said the acquisition of Insitu would also provide the company with an established business generating more than $200 million in annual revenue.
“We gain the ability to start generating significant revenue immediately in a major growth market,” Goldstein told Reuters. He said demand for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance drones was strong, creating an opportunity for Archer to expand beyond its core air-taxi business.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Boeing and Archer will establish a technology-sharing agreement that allows Boeing to retain access to Wisk’s autonomous-flight technology for use in current and future commercial and defense aircraft programs.
For Boeing, the transaction marks a further shift toward its core commercial and defense aircraft operations. The company has invested in advanced air mobility technology but the eVTOL industry has faced delays in aircraft certification, manufacturing at scale and establishing commercially viable operations.
Archer, meanwhile, has been advancing its Midnight electric aircraft toward commercial operations. The company said earlier this year that it was targeting its first passenger-carrying flights in 2026 and had completed full Federal Aviation Administration acceptance of the aircraft’s means of compliance.
The transaction also comes as Archer expands its defense activities. In July, Archer and Anduril Industries unveiled a jointly developed hybrid-electric autonomous vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft platform for commercial and defense applications.
Archer shares rose about 14% in morning trading after the Boeing transaction was announced, according to Reuters. The deal remains subject to closing conditions, with the transaction expected to proceed later this year.
