Abu Dhabi Investment Office and US-based Archer Aviation plan to commence air taxi operations in Abudhabi and across the country in 2026

An agreement was signed by the US-based Archer Aviation and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) with the aim of launching air taxi services in the UAE Capital and throughout the nation in 2026. Leading manufacturer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Archer, will make its debut as an international launch partner with Abu Dhabi. In order to help Archer develop its first global headquarters and production facilities in the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (Savi) Cluster in Abu Dhabi, ADIO intends to provide incentives as part of this strategic effort.

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), headed by Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, disclosed that Archer's Midnight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft had previously undergone an inspection by the federal agency.

The California-based startup claims that its goal is to revolutionise urban transportation by substituting automobile trips of 60 to 90 minutes with 10 to 20-minute electric air taxi rides.

To far, Archer has secured over $1.1 billion in capital, with contributions from Boeing, United Airlines, Mubadala Capital, and Stellantis. It is anticipated that Archer will present its Midnight aircraft to the area for the first time at both the GCAA-hosted Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF) next month, and the Dubai Airshow. The four-passenger piloted aircraft Archer's Midnight is built to do quick back-to-back flights with little time spent for in-between charging.

In order to achieve its goals of commercialising operations in the UAE by 2026, Archer claims to be collaborating with a number of industry partners around the country. Archer has inked Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with GAL-AMMROC, which will handle maintenance for Archer's eVTOL aircraft, and Falcon Aviation, which will run its air taxis throughout Dubai and Abu Dhabi.