Boeing is shedding its Wisk Aero air-taxi unit, along with Insitu and SkyGrid, in a transaction that will hand the three businesses to Archer Aviation in exchange for a near-20% stake in the electric aircraft company. The deal keeps Boeing linked to Wisk’s autonomous-flight technology through a collaboration and technology-sharing arrangement, underlining a strategic reshaping rather than a broader break-up.
The move fits Boeing’s longer pruning of non-core assets as it concentrates on its turnaround. Wisk had become a distraction, while Boeing’s earlier portfolio review and the 2025 sale of Jeppesen already signalled a tighter focus on core commercial and defence operations.
Archer’s takeover gives the startup access to Wisk’s electric vertical take-off and landing expertise, Insitu’s drone business and SkyGrid’s airspace services. Boeing also retains an equity position in Archer and access to autonomy technology that can feed future aircraft programmes, preserving a commercial link even as it exits direct ownership of the units.