By Abhijith Ganapavaram

FARNBOROUGH, England, July 22 (Reuters) - Boeing ( BA )-owned

Wisk Aero expects its pilotless air-taxi to begin carrying

passengers "later in the decade" as it works with the U.S.

regulator to secure approvals, its CEO said on Monday, amid

scepticism among industry analysts about certification

timelines.

Wisk is one of several electric vertical take-off and

landing (eVTOL) aircraft makers that have emerged over the last

few years with a promise to provide an environmentally-friendly

mode of transport in congested cities.

But the industry faces technological hurdles such as making

batteries powerful enough for companies to make more trips on a

single charge. They also need to convince regulators and the

public that the aircraft are safe, a barrier that is higher when

the aircraft is autonomous.

Wisk is developing a four-seater autonomous aircraft that

will have a range of 90 miles (145 km).

"We are right now testing and producing the elements of this

aircraft that we will hope to fly around the end of this year,"

CEO Brian Yutko told reporters at the Farnborough Airshow.

Wisk's strategy is a departure from other major air-taxi

makers, which are developing models that will require a pilot to

fly the aircraft. The company has said operators of its aircraft

will save on pilot costs.

But industry experts at Bain say a full autonomous passenger

flight is not expected before the late 2030s and pilotless

aircraft will face competition from autonomous vehicles on the

road.

"Maximising passenger occupancy and avoiding return trips

with empty aircraft will be crucial for operator profitability,"

said Mattia Celli, one of the authors of the Bain report.

Mountain View, California-based Wisk was previously a joint

venture between Boeing ( BA ) and Kitty Hawk Corp. It became a

fully-owned subsidiary of the U.S. planemaker last year.