Key facts
- Wisk Aero, an electric air taxi company owned by Boeing, is facing a lawsuit from a former employee.
- The former employee, Briahna O’Neill, alleges wrongful termination and discrimination.
- O’Neill claims she was fired after raising concerns about reduced FAA-required software testing.
- She stated that engineers were cutting back on testing to meet a 2025 test flight deadline.
- O’Neill filed two internal safety reports before her termination.
Wisk Aero, an electric air taxi company backed by Boeing, is being sued by a former employee who alleges she was wrongfully terminated after voicing safety concerns. Briahna O’Neill, a former software manager, filed a lawsuit in Santa Clara Superior Court, claiming that she was fired weeks after submitting two internal safety reports.
According to the lawsuit, O’Neill’s reports detailed how Wisk engineers were allegedly reducing the amount of software testing required by the FAA to meet a 2025 test flight deadline. Boeing, the owner of Wisk, declined to comment on the lawsuit when contacted by The Seattle Times, which first reported the legal action.
Wisk Aero, founded in 2019, is developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and is one of the few companies aiming for full autonomy in this sector. The company was among eight approved by the FAA earlier this year to participate in a three-year program for testing such aircraft. Wisk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.