Xwing (aviation)

Xwing is an autonomous aircraft company founded in 2016, initially focusing on cargo operations.

The company was founded by Marc Piette (former CEO) and Maxime Gariel (CTO). It received a $4 million seed round in 2018 led by Eniac Ventures, and a $10 million Series A in May 2020 led by R7 Partners, also including funding from Thales Group.{{Cite web |title=Xwing Says The Future of Air Transportation Is Autonomous, But How Close Is That Future? - FLYING Magazine |last=Wildes |first=Michael |work=FLYING Magazine |date=7 April 2022 |access-date=29 September 2022 |url= https://www.flyingmag.com/xwing-says-the-future-of-air-transportation-is-autonomous-but-how-close-is-that-future/}}{{Cite web |title=Autonomous-aviation startup Xwing takes flight with $4 million in funding |last=Korosec |first=Kirsten |work=TechCrunch |date=31 July 2018 |access-date=29 September 2022 |url= https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/31/autonomous-aviation-startup-xwing-takes-flight-with-4-million-in-funding/}}{{Cite magazine |title=This Plane Flies Itself. We Went for a Ride |last=Barber |first=Gregory |magazine=WIRED |date=20 August 2020 |access-date=29 September 2022 |url= https://www.wired.com/story/autonomous-plane-xwing/}}{{Cite web |title=To Build a Plane That Can Fly Itself, Start With a Pilot in the Cockpit |last=Pasztor |first=Andy |work=WSJ |date=20 August 2020 |access-date=29 September 2022 |url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/to-build-a-plane-that-can-fly-itself-start-with-a-pilot-in-the-cockpit-11597939200}} Its staff also includes Earl Lawrence, formerly at the FAA in unmanned aircraft and aircraft certification.{{Cite web |title=No Pilot, No Problem? Here's How Soon Self-Flying Planes Will Take Off |last=Kelleher |first=Suzanne Rowan |work=Forbes |date=26 February 2023 |access-date=28 February 2023 |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2023/02/26/pilotless-autonomous-self-flying-planes/ |quote=Earl Lawrence knows a thing or two about FAA regulations, having recently left the agency, where he was the head of aircraft certification. Prior to that, Lawrence had started the FAA’s unmanned office. “One of the key things of bringing this category of aircraft to the cargo market is that we are not changing the rules. We are following the regulations,” he says, noting that some companies in the space have made proposals that do not comply with FAA regulations. “That’s what significantly slows things down.” }}

In 2020, the company performed a four-hour fully autonomous flight, and was performing gate-to-gate autonomous operations in February 2021.{{Cite web |title=Xwing expands cargo fleet as it continues push for autonomous flying - Air Cargo News |last=Brett |first=Damian |work=Air Cargo News |date=29 July 2022 |access-date=29 September 2022 |url= https://www.aircargonews.net/airlines/freighter-operator/xwing-expands-cargo-fleet-as-it-continues-push-for-autonomous-flying/ |quote=The company has demonstrated fully autonomous gate-to-gate capabilities since February 2021, including the ability to autonomously taxi on and off the runway successfully while navigating various obstacles and operations on the ground. }}{{Cite web |title=I flew on a self-flying plane where pilots sat back as the aircraft taxied, took off, and landed on its own and I'm convinced it's the future of aviation |author=Thomas Pallini |work=Business Insider |date=8 May 2021 |access-date=29 September 2022 |url= https://www.businessinsider.com/flying-on-self-flying-plane-convinced-its-future-of-aviation-2021-5}}{{Cite web |title=Human in the Loop: My Ride on Xwing's Self-flying Aircraft |author=Hanneke Weitering |work=FutureFlight |date=13 October 2022 |access-date=13 October 2022 |url= https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-06/human-loop-my-ride-xwings-self-flying-aircraft}} In October 2022, the company announced NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate awarded a contract to share data and study autonomous flights in the national airspace.{{Cite web |title=NASA Awards Xwing Contract to Develop Autonomous Flight Safety Management System - FLYING Magazine |last=Wildes |first=Michael |work=FLYING Magazine |date=13 October 2022 |access-date=14 October 2022 |url= https://www.flyingmag.com/nasa-awards-xwing-contract-to-develop-autonomous-flight-safety-management-system/ |quote=Xwing will share flight and ground operations data, algorithms, and pertinent autonomous subject matter expertise with NASA. In turn, NASA researchers will use the information to develop a safety management system (SMS) where regular pilotless flights can be integrated into the NAS. }}{{Cite web |title=NASA Contracts Xwing To Study Safety of Autonomous Flight Operations |author=HANNEKE WEITERING |work=FutureFlight |date=13 October 2022 |access-date=14 October 2022 |url= https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-12/nasa-contracts-xwing-study-safety-autonomous-flight-operations}}{{Cite web |title=NASA, Xwing to develop autonomous flight standards |author=Niki Britton |work=aopa.org |date=13 October 2022 |access-date=14 October 2022 |url= https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2022/october/13/nasa-xwing-develop-autonomy}}

Xwing operates N101XW, a Cessna 208 Caravan under an experimental license with its autonomous system.{{cite news |last=Altman |first=Andy |url=https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/i-flew-in-a-self-flying-plane/ |title=I Got to Ride in a Self-Flying Cessna |work=CNet |date=2022-10-02 |accessdate=2022-10-02 }}{{Cite web |title=Delivering PPE and school supplies to the Navajo Nation — autonomously |author=Xwing |work=Medium |date=19 October 2020 |access-date=2 October 2022 |url= https://medium.com/@xwinginc/delivering-ppe-and-school-supplies-to-the-navajo-nation-autonomously-9111f5c543d7 |quote=N101XW being tugged out }}

The company acquired Airpac Aviation, a cargo feeder.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

The company acquired Martinaire, another cargo feeder, in 2022.

The Autonomy Division of Xwing was acquired by Joby Aviation in June 2024. {{Cite web |date=2024-06-04 |title=Joby Acquires Xwing Autonomy Division, Looks Ahead to Autonomous Flight |url=https://ir.jobyaviation.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/99/joby-acquires-xwing-autonomy-division-looks-ahead-to |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Joby Aviation, Inc. |language=en}}