Boeing-owned Wisk Aero faces wrongful termination lawsuit

Wisk Aero, the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft company owned by Boeing, is accused of firing manager who raised safety concerns. Former software manager Briahna O’Neill has filed a lawsuit against Wisk in Santa Clara Superior Court, alleging discrimination and wrongful termination. The Seattle Times first reported on the legal action, noting that Boeing declined to comment on the allegations.

According to O’Neill, she filed two internal safety reports claiming Wisk reduced FAA-required software testing to meet a 2025 deadline. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the government agency that serves as the regulator for aviation and aircraft testing. In her internal reports, O’Neill outlined how Wisk had engineers reduce the amount of FAA-required software testing being done. She alleges that this reduction in testing was carried out specifically in order to hit a scheduled test flight deadline in 2025. O’Neill claims she was fired just weeks after filing the second complaint.

Founded in 2019, Wisk is one of a number of companies trying to develop commercially viable electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The company is one of the few developers working on aiming for full autonomy in its aircraft operations. Wisk is also one of eight companies approved by the FAA to participate in a three-year testing program for these aircraft.

Boeing, which is the owner of Wisk Aero, declined to comment on the lawsuit. Wisk itself has stated that it cannot comment on ongoing litigation. The legal dispute comes as Wisk continues its participation in the FAA’s three-year testing program.

Why it matters

The lawsuit alleges that Wisk Aero reduced FAA-required software testing to meet a 2025 deadline, raising questions about safety protocols at the Boeing-owned electric air taxi developer.