Ken Karklin Steps Down as CEO of Larry Page-Backed eVTOL Company Pivotal

Pivotal announced Karklin’s departure this week, saying he is “pursuing new endeavors” without providing further details. Karklin had led the company for more than four years. In a statement, Karklin said leading Pivotal had been “the privilege of my career,” adding that the industry has “moved past prototypes and press releases” and is now operating in the real world.

The company said Mike Ross, an aviation executive who joined Pivotal’s board in November 2025, will serve as interim CEO. Ross credited Karklin’s leadership with bringing Pivotal to its current position and said the team, priorities, and roadmap remain steady during the transition.

Karklin’s exit comes two years after Pivotal began selling its first lightweight electric personal aircraft, the single-seat Helix. The aircraft does not require a pilot’s license and starts at around $200,000. Ross said the company is now working to bring its fourth-generation Helix aircraft to market.

Pivotal has also spent years developing BlackFly, an aircraft aimed at defense and first responder use cases. Last month, BlackFly was used for the first time in an emergency response in North Carolina, reaching the scene 20 minutes before an ambulance dispatched in parallel, the company said. Pivotal reports BlackFly has flown more than 10,000 times.

The company is one of several selected for the Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, which is designed to expand testing of such aircraft nationwide.

Editor's Summary

Ken Karklin has left his role as CEO of Pivotal after more than four years, with Mike Ross appointed as interim replacement. The leadership change comes two years after the company launched sales of its Helix personal eVTOL aircraft and as Pivotal continues developing its BlackFly aircraft for emergency and defense use.