Archer sets eVTOL sights on Abu Dhabi

60–90-minute car commutes to be replaced by 10-20 minute electric air taxi flights
By Adam Hill October 20, 2023 Read time: 2 mins
Archer's Midnight eVTOL aircraft (image: Archer Aviation)

Urban air mobility specialist Archer Aviation plans to start air taxi operations in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in 2026. 

The electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft provider will work with Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio), which aims to allow Archer to establish an HQ in Abu Dhabi's Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) Cluster.

Archer says it wants to replace 60–90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10-20 minute electric air taxi flights which will be, it suggests, "cost-competitive with ground transportation". 

The company will also work with Falcon Aviation (which will operate its air taxis across Dubai and Abu Dhabi) as well as GAL-AMMROC (supplying repair and maintenance work with aircraft) and says it plans to announce further tie-ups when it showcases its Midnight aircraft at the Dubai Air Show from 13-17 November. Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft "designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights".

Badr Al-Olama, acting director general of Adio, says: "Bringing electric aviation to the UAE will help unlock congestion with zero emissions and, in turn, bring millions in foreign direct investment and thousands of jobs to the region over the next decade.”

Archer has raised $1.1 billion of funding so far, including investments from Mubadala Capital, United Airlines, its manufacturing partner Stellantis and Boeing.

“Archer plans to partner closely with Adio and the Department of Economic Development to bring manufacturing and operations for our air taxis to the region," says Archer's founder and CEO, Adam Goldstein. "Together, we are positioned to be a driving force in making all-electric air taxis a reality in the skies of the UAE and beyond in the coming years.”

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares says the company will work to establish a manufacturing facility for Midnight in the Middle East, "where we see extraordinary potential for urban air mobility".

Air Quality & Weather Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Report highlights community impact of new mobility options
    March 29, 2018
    Local authorities and communities must understand the impacts of the new mobility options and regulate to get the transport systems they want, according to a new report. Colin Sowman takes a look. Outside of the big cities plagued with congestion, the existing transportation system(s) often cope adequately, and the ongoing workload (maintenance, safety…) is more than enough to keep local transport authorities busy. Is it, therefore, a good use of public service employees’ time to keep abreast of the raft
    Read More
  • Report highlights community impact of new mobility options
    March 29, 2018
    Local authorities and communities must understand the impacts of the new mobility options and regulate to get the transport systems they want, according to a new report. Colin Sowman takes a look. Outside of the big cities plagued with congestion, the existing transportation system(s) often cope adequately, and the ongoing workload (maintenance, safety…) is more than enough to keep local transport authorities busy. Is it, therefore, a good use of public service employees’ time to keep abreast of the raft
    Read More
  • ARTBA president: what happened to the hoverboards?
    October 28, 2019
    What keeps Dave Bauer up at night? David Arminas caught up with the head of ARTBA at his Washington, DC office during daylight hours Dave Bauer doesn’t really have many sleepless nights. He might sleep, though, with one eye open, just in case. “We have become a much more divided country politically,” says Bauer, president of ARTBA – American Road and Transportation Builders Association. “Whether you are thinking about federal government, or state or local government, there’s a hostility now in our politi
    Read More
  • ISS Autoscope supporting Winter Olympics traffic management
    February 21, 2014
    Image Sensing Systems’ (ISS) Autoscope RTMS G4 radars are in use in Sochi, Russia to support traffic management at the 2014 Winter Olympics. The radars were provided by ISS’ regional partner Allied Global to the Olympic Games Transport Directorate, which is responsible for the operation of the traffic management system. Autoscope RTMS G4 is being used to monitor traffic conditions, display speed-map representation of the highway and determine travel time for commuters. The traffic management system inc
    Read More

Highlighted Content