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Boeing NeXt To Close, Raising Doubts over eVTOL Efforts

Boeing is closing its Boeing NeXt innovation division just over two years since it launched the venture at the 2018 Farnborough Air Show. The move, confirmed by a Boeing spokeswoman today, raises questions about the future of the company’s shareholdings in eVTOL aircraft developers Wisk and Aurora Flight Sciences. Also now in doubt is whether Boeing will continue its investment in Aerion and its AS2 supersonic business jet program.

Boeing NeXt vice president and general manager Steve Nordlund announced the move to staff in an internal letter on September 15 and indicated that the decision had been taken in response to heavy financial losses sustained in the wake of the 737 Max grounding and the Covid crisis. “Our goal is to move to a full pause as swiftly as possible,” he explained. “Organizations like these only have the privilege to exist when you have a healthy core business.”

Boeing's NeXt division has been working on two eVTOL prototypes—one designated as a Passenger Air Vehicle and another a Cargo Air Vehicle. Through its Wisk joint venture formed in 2019 with Kitty Hawk, it is developing a two-seat eVTOL design called Cora.

The NeXt business unit also includes the SkyGrid joint venture that Boeing launched with SparkCognition in November 2018. This is focused on developing software for air traffic management of autonomous aircraft.