Boeing Subsidiary Wisk Aero Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Retaliation After Safety Complaints

Wisk Aero, the electric air taxi company owned by Boeing, is facing legal action from a former employee who alleges she was dismissed after raising concerns about the company’s safety practices.

Briahna O’Neill, a former software manager at Wisk, filed a lawsuit in Santa Clara Superior Court earlier this week, accusing the company of discrimination and wrongful termination. The lawsuit was first reported by The Seattle Times, which also noted that Boeing declined to comment on the matter.

According to the complaint, O’Neill submitted two internal safety reports alleging that Wisk directed engineers to reduce the amount of software testing required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in an effort to meet a planned test flight deadline in 2025. O’Neill claims she was terminated only a few weeks after filing her second internal complaint.

Founded in 2019, Wisk Aero is one of several companies working to develop commercially viable electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The company is also among the few in the sector pursuing fully autonomous flight operations. Earlier this year, Wisk was selected as one of eight companies approved by the FAA to participate in a three-year programme focused on testing advanced aircraft technologies.

Wisk said it could not comment on the allegations because the litigation is ongoing.