Archer to launch electric air taxi service in UAE by 2026
ABU DHABI
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US startup Archer Aviation has entered into an agreement with Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) that will see the two together to launch its electric air-taxi service in the UAE by 2026.
As part of this strategic initiative, ADIO plans to support Archer with incentives for establishing its first international headquarters and manufacturing facilities in the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) Cluster in Abu Dhabi.
ADIO and Archer signed the deal at a key ceremony held today (October 17), along with several other aviation industry participants from across the region, including Falcon Aviation and GAL-AMMROC, committed to supporting this strategic initiative.
Archer said it is still in discussions with numerous other industry participants that it plans to announce MoUs with when the company is in the region to showcase its Midnight aircraft at the Dubai Air Show in November, as well as the Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF) hosted by ICAO and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) the following week in Dubai.
Archer is seeking to work with its global manufacturing partner Stellantis and local partners in the UAE to build out its aircraft manufacturing capabilities and its Center of Excellence in Abu Dhabi.
Archer’s Center of Excellence will focus on developing and implementing next-generation aviation technologies, said its top official.
"We are excited to announce this collaboration for the UAE to become our first international market outside of the US. 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," stated Archer Aviation’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," he added.
Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the General Civil Aviation Authority, said: "The GCAA recently visited Archer Aviation’s global headquarters in California to inspect its Midnight aircraft and learn about their certification progress with the Federal Aviation Administration. Our goal is to approve Archer’s air taxi to fly in the UAE as soon as it is certified by the FAA, and we are very excited to collaborate with them to bring electric air taxis to the country."
Badr Al Olama, Acting Director-General of ADIO, expressed delight at working with Archer to host their first international operations in Abu Dhabi.
"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," he noted.
Archer has raised over $1.1 billion of funding to date, including investments from Mubadala Capital, United Airlines, Stellantis, and Boeing.
Meera Al Suwaidi, Head of Value Creation at Mubadala Investment Company, said: "Through our asset management subsidiary Mubadala Capital, we have been an investor in Archer for several years. We are looking forward to working alongside them for the debut of their Midnight aircraft at the Dubai Air Show later this year and to continue discussions on further expanding our collaboration."
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said: "We are excited to be working with Archer to begin establishing a high-volume manufacturing facility for the Midnight aircraft in the United States over the last couple of years. We hope this first production site will be a blueprint for future Archer manufacturing facilities as it expands operations to serve new regions, starting with the Middle East, where we see extraordinary potential for urban air mobility."
Archer said it was working with numerous industry partners across the UAE to support its plans to commercialize operations in the UAE by 2025.
Today, Archer signed MoUs with Falcon Aviation, which will operate its air taxis across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as GAL-AMMROC which will provide MRO support for Archer’s eVTOL aircraft.
Falcon Aviation Vice Chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Sultan bin Khalifa, said: "We have built an unparalleled reputation for flying passengers in helicopters across the UAE for nearly two decades."
"With this agreement with Archer, we look forward to continuing to provide world-class passenger transport in all-electric air taxis across Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the next decades to come," he stated.
Mahmood Alhay Alhameli, CEO of GAL & AMMROC, said: "Based on Archer’s eVTOL technology, their plans to launch and manufacture in the UAE, coupled with our trusted experience in providing maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for our wide range of industry-leading clients, GAL & AMMROC is proud to have been chosen as the ideal launch partner for Archer."
Archer’s goal is to transform urban travel, replacing 60–90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10-20 minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, low noise, and cost-competitive with ground transportation, remarked Goldstein.
Archer’s Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights, he added.
