Pivotal Aviation appoints interim chief as longtime CEO Ken Karklin departs

Ken Karklin, who has led Pivotal for over four years, announced his departure this week, citing a move toward new endeavors. The Larry Page-backed eVTOL company confirmed that aviation veteran Mike Ross, who joined the board in November 2025, will assume interim chief executive duties. In a statement, Ross highlighted Karklin’s role in advancing the firm’s safety and engineering standards and pledged continuity of the current roadmap.

Pivotal’s flagship Helix, a single-seat electric aircraft priced around $200,000 and not requiring a pilot’s license, entered sales two years ago. The company also showcased its BlackFly vehicle in a North Carolina emergency, beating an ambulance by 20 minutes, and noted the model has logged over 10,000 flights. Pivotal remains part of the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, aimed at expanding testing of such aircraft nationwide.