Skyways
| Private | |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Industry | Aerospace, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) |
| Founded 📆 | 2017 |
| Founders 👔 | Charles Acknin, Chris Craighill |
| Headquarters 🏙️ | , Austin, Texas , United States |
Area served 🗺️ | |
Key people | Charles Acknin (CEO), Chris Craighill (CTO) |
| Members | |
Number of employees | |
| 🌐 Website | https://skyways.com |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Skyways Air Transportation Inc. (known as Skyways) is an American aerospace company that designs and manufactures long-range autonomous unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for cargo logistics applications. The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.[1]
History
Skyways was established in 2017 in Austin, Texas, by Charles Acknin and Chris Craighill.[2]
In 2024 and 2025, Skyways conducted several Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) demonstration flights for U.S. military logistics under the Department of Defense’s Project ULTRA program. These flights transported cargo between Grand Forks Air Force Base and Cavalier Space Force Station.[3]
In June 2025, Skyways was awarded a US$37 million contract by the U.S. Air Force through AFWERX and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to transition its V3 autonomous cargo aircraft from prototype to production.[4] The company also secured a US$5 million debt facility from Leonid Capital Partners to support production.[5]
Technology and products
V2 aircraft
The V2 is an earlier-generation autonomous cargo aircraft used in test and demonstration missions.[6]
V3 aircraft
The V3 is Skyways’ next-generation long-range autonomous cargo aircraft.[7] Industry sources report that the V3 features:
- Payload capacity of around 100 pounds (45 kg)[8]
- Maximum range exceeding 1,000 miles (1,609 km)[9]
- Endurance of more than 20 hours[10]
- A hybrid propulsion configuration enabling VTOL takeoff and fixed-wing cruise[11]
Operations
Skyways’ headquarters is located at 8601 Cross Park Drive, Suite 200, Austin, Texas.[12]
Markets
Skyways develops aircraft for commercial and defense logistics applications.[13]
Funding
Public reporting indicates that Skyways has received:
- a US$37 million U.S. Air Force contract for V3 development;[14]
- a US$5 million debt facility from Leonid Capital Partners;[15]
- approximately US$6.72 million in prior private funding.[16]
The company has also participated in accelerator programs, including Y Combinator.[17]
Key people
See also
References
- ↑ "Skyways – Products, Competitors, Financials, Employees, and Funding". CB Insights. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ "Skyways Air Transportation Inc". InKnowvation. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ Brunton, James (2025-02-11). "Skyways Completes Historic Cargo Drone Flights for U.S. Military". DroneLife. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ Hanna, James (2025-06-10). "Skyways Lands $37M USAF Contract to Mass-Produce Cargo Drone". The Defense Post. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ "Skyways Receives $5M Debt Facility from Leonid Capital Partners". FINSMES. 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ Brunton, James (2025-02-11). "Skyways Completes Historic Cargo Drone Flights for U.S. Military". DroneLife. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ Hanna, James (2025-06-10). "Skyways Lands $37M USAF Contract to Mass-Produce Cargo Drone". The Defense Post. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ "Skyways Presents Next-Generation Cargo Drone Capabilities" Check
|url=value (help). Bavovna. 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-01. - ↑ Hanna, James (2025-06-10). "Skyways Lands $37M USAF Contract to Mass-Produce Cargo Drone". The Defense Post. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ Hanna, James (2025-06-10). "Skyways Lands $37M USAF Contract to Mass-Produce Cargo Drone". The Defense Post. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ "Skyways' V3 Hybrid Drone Explained". The Drone Girl. 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ "Skyways Air Transportation Inc". InKnowvation. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ "Texas Firm Gains $37M Air Force Backing for Unmanned Cargo Planes". DC Velocity. 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ Hanna, James (2025-06-10). "Skyways Lands $37M USAF Contract to Mass-Produce Cargo Drone". The Defense Post. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ "Skyways Receives $5M Debt Facility from Leonid Capital Partners". FINSMES. 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ "Skyways – Products, Competitors, Financials, Employees, and Funding". CB Insights. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ "Skyways – Products, Competitors, Financials, Employees, and Funding". CB Insights. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ "Charles Acknin – Profile". Crunchbase. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ "Skyways Air Transportation Inc". InKnowvation. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
This article "Skyways" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Skyways. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
