Tag: Archer Aviation

United Airlines Partners with Archer Aviation for Chicago Air Taxis

CBS News Chicago reports that United Airlines “is teaming up with Archer Aviation to provide air taxi service between O’Hare International Airport and the West Loop starting in 2025, at the same time construction on the Kennedy Expressway will be causing major delays for outbound traffic. United and Archer plan to launch the city’s first air taxi route between O’Hare and Vertiport Chicago on the Near West Side close to Pilsen and the Illinois Medical District, offering 10-minute rides between the airport and the downtown area.”
Full Story (CBS News Chicago)

U.S. Airlines Eyeing Air Taxis for Airport Shuttle Service

Aviation Week reports, “Millions of dollars have flown into the nascent electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) sector over the past several years, as investors bet that quiet, emissions-free air taxis will unlock a new wave of demand for urban air mobility (UAM). While those services are not expected to reach scale until the next decade, air taxi startups are looking toward the airport shuttle mission as an initial launch application in the coming years, promising to shave long trips on congested urban road networks down to 10-20 mins. or less.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

Future Flight Global May Purchase Up to 116 Air Taxis from Archer Aviation

Flying Magazine reports, “Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Archer Aviation this week secured another purchase order agreement for its flagship Midnight air taxi. The company on Tuesday said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Future Flight Global (FFG), a startup that plans to operate eVTOL and other advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, for the planned sale of as many as 116 air taxis.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)

Archer Introduces ‘Automotive Style’ Battery Pack to Air Taxi Production Line

Flying reports, “Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Archer Aviation is ready to produce thousands of lithium-ion battery packs for its flagship Midnight air taxi. The manufacturer on Wednesday announced it completed the installation of an “automotive style” battery pack manufacturing line within its integrated test lab and manufacturing facilities in San Jose, California.
Full Story (Flying)

Archer, Joby to Provide Air Taxi Service in Abu Dhabi

Flying Magazine reports, “Two titans in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi industry are building on their previously announced plans to serve the United Arab Emirates. At the inaugural DriftX conference in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, both headquartered in California, signed agreements with Abu Dhabi government agencies to introduce their respective air taxis in the Emirate.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)

Archer Performs Battery Pack Drop Test for Midnight Air Taxi

Flying Magazine reports, “Air taxi manufacturer Archer Aviation has reached what it says is a crucial milestone in its test campaign—one that could prove valuable as it pursues type certification for its flagship Midnight aircraft. The company on Friday said it successfully completed a series of drop tests on Midnight’s battery packs, an evaluation it will need to complete again during for-credit testing with the FAA.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)

Archer Aviation Progressing Towards Certification of its VTOL Vehicle

FlightGlobal reports that start-up electric air taxi company Archer Aviation “says it continues to progress toward certification of its four-person vertical take-off and landing vehicle ‘Midnight,’ and a commercial entry-into-service date of 2025.” Company CEO Adam Goldstein “said that the company has now submitted 15 of its 18 subject- specific certification plans to the Federal Aviation Administration.” Goldstein said of the certification, “We have continued to make significant progress towards our goal of revolutionising urban mobility. We remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering safe, sustainable and low-noise urban air mobility beginning in 2025.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)

EVOTL OEM Ranking Hold Steady in Reality Index

Aviation Week reports that the ranking of electric air taxi startups “was unchanged in the latest edition of the AAM Reality Index, with Joby Aviation and Volocopter leading the pack followed by a three-way tie between Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies and EHang.” Joby’s front-runner position, with a score of 8.7 out of 10, largely “stems from its hefty cash cushion relative to its main competitors, according to Sergio Cecutta, founder and CEO of SMG Consulting, which publishes the bimonthly AAM Reality Index in conjunction with Aviation Week.” As a comparison, the company “finished the March quarter with nearly $1 billion in cash versus roughly $450 million for rival Archer.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)

Archer Aviation Debuts Midnight

Aerospace America reports that Archer Aviation yesterday publicly revealed at its Palo Alto, California facility a production version of the four-seat eVTOL the company aims to get into service in 2025. The version is called Midnight, and flies with fixed-wings with 12 rotors. Six stationary propellers on the wing trailing edges provide lift, while the six others on the wing leading edges tilt forward to transition from hover to cruise flight. “Two doors on each side will accommodate four passengers and a pilot, and large windows will provide a panoramic view for the occupants. ‘The landing gear will keep the fuselage low to the ground, so that stepping aboard will be about like getting into a sport utility vehicle,’ said Julien Montousse, vice president of design and innovation and a former auto designer.”
Full Story (Aerospace America)

FAA Publishes Archer Air Taxi Airworthiness Criteria

Aviation Today reports that the Airworthiness Criteria for the electric aircraft designed by Archer Aviation “have been published by the Federal Aviation Administration.” This is an “important achievement for the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) developer on the path to beginning commercial urban air mobility operations in the U.S.” The Airworthiness Criteria are “part of the FAA’s process of type certification for special class aircraft.” Once the brief period “for comments has concluded, on January 19, 2023, the Airworthiness Criteria will be finalized by the FAA.” Archer is working “towards certification of its eVTOL aircraft, Midnight, in late 2024.” The team plans “to launch its network of operations in 2025. Adam Goldstein, Archer’s founder and CEO, remarked in the announcement, ‘Today’s publication of our Airworthiness Criteria in the Federal Register is further validation of our strategy and our leadership position in the market.’”
Full Story (Aviation Today)

Experts Discuss Challenges, Opportunities Around AAM

Aviation Today reported that a panel of experts hosted by AUVSI and the FAA “discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with cooperating internationally on advanced air mobility, or AAM.” Panel moderator Jessica Orquina, Manager of the Implementation Branch for the FAA’s Safety & Integration Division in the UAS Integration Office, “noted that many of the FAA’s current regulations allow AAM aircraft to meet strict safety standards through innovative means.” Further, she “added that the FAA is working with international partners to adopt common certification and integration standards from other countries as AAM is being defined.” Meanwhile, Pulkit Agrawal, Principal Certification Engineer (UAS/UAM) at Honeywell, “spoke about some of the opportunities in the AAM industry” and how the company “believes in the vision of efficient air transportation – electric air taxis that can complete a 100-mile trip in 45 minutes – as well as same-day package delivery via drone.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)

FAA Certification Frees Archer Aviation to Assemble eVTOL Pilot Team

Aerotime reports, “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given Archer Aviation the green light to begin assembling a team of pilots to fly its future fleet of electric vehicle takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Archer Aviation announced on February 18, 2025, that the eVTOL developer had received its Part 141 certificate from the FAA signifying that it is a formally recognized and regulated institution for pilot training.”
Full Story (Aerotime)

Archer Aviation Performing Piloted Flights of its Midnight Electric Aircraft

Electrek reports, “All-electric aircraft developer Archer has entered a key development phase ahead of full-fledged flight certification and commercial operations. Last week, Archer completed a piloted flight in its flagship Midnight aircraft, demonstrating a conventional takeoff and landing instead of vertical (it can do both). Check out the entire flight video.”
Full Story (Electrek)

Archer Aviation’s Midnight Nearing Commercial Rollout

Yahoo Finance reports, “Archer Aviation “is aiming to transform urban air mobility through its flagship aircraft, Midnight. Built for short, frequent flights of 20–50 miles, Midnight aircraft is nearing its commercial rollout following a handful of regulatory approvals and strategic partnerships ACHR has signed lately. In June 2025, Archer Aviation signed a strategic partnership with Jetex to develop infrastructure at the latter’s network of private terminals for facilitating Midnight jet’s upcoming commercial air taxi operations.”
Full Story (Yahoo Finance)