Xwing
San Francisco autonomous aviation company; developed Superpilot for pilotless Cessna Caravan cargo flights; autonomy division acquired by Joby Aviation in 2024.
Xwing is a San Francisco-based autonomous aviation company founded in 2016 that developed the Superpilot autonomous flight system, enabling fully uncrewed gate-to-gate cargo flights using retrofitted Cessna 208B Grand Caravan turboprop aircraft. Superpilot comprises dual sensor pods with electro-optical and infrared cameras plus a digital flight control system and AI-based detect-and-avoid (DAA) capability, allowing remote ground supervision without an onboard pilot. Xwing completed more than 250 fully autonomous flights and over 500 auto-landings, making it the first company to receive an FAA project designation for certification of a large unmanned aerial system (UAS) under a Standard Category airworthiness certificate in April 2023, and the first to receive a US Air Force Military Flight Release in 2024.
The company partnered with NASA to develop processes and procedures for automated cargo aviation operations. In June 2024, Joby Aviation acquired Xwing's autonomy division — approximately 40 engineers and all autonomous flight technology, including co-founder and CTO Maxime Gariel — for an undisclosed sum paid in Joby shares. Xwing's cargo operating certificate and affiliated Part 135 airlines (Martinaire, Airpac) were not included in the deal and remain with Xwing.
As of 2025, Xwing continues cargo operations with approximately 51 employees and annual revenue near $15M.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Superpilot Autonomous Flight System
- Model: Superpilot
- Launch Year: 2020
AI-based autonomous flight control and detect-and-avoid system enabling fully pilotless gate-to-gate cargo operations on Cessna 208B Caravan aircraft.
Contact Xwing
WEBSITE
https://www.xwing.comPHONE
+1 650-618-9100HEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2016
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
employees 100-500
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
-
Certifications & Memberships
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