Santa Clara-based eVTOL maker Archer has its sights set on making air taxis a thing, like, really soon. It’s just revealed plans for a network of vertiports from which its electric aircraft can take off and land in New York (NYC) – so you can beat street traffic and get around town in minutes.
The network will include several existing helipads held by infrastructure partners like fixed-base operator (FBO) Atlantic Aviation. The initial goal for Archer is to get air travelers from Manhattan to nearby airports like JFK in 5-15 minutes, instead of the 1-2 hours it could take driving through city traffic.
It’s building this network in partnership with United Airlines, which previously ordered 300 of Archer’s electric Midnight aircraft that can each carry four passengers and a pilot. The company has also partnered with auto giant Stellantis to build a manufacturing facility in Georgia, with the capacity to eventually produce more than 2,000 of these aircraft per year.
Archer Aviation
Archer’s efforts to secure what’s called ‘Type Certification’ from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Midnight could enable the eVTOL company to operate out of major airports. It could then complement United passengers’ regular flights with air taxi rides for shorter door-to-door travel times.
Archer Aviation
The company previously announced plans to build out vertiport networks in San Francisco and Los Angeles last year. The idea there was was to make quick commutes possible across those two Californian cities, in collaboration with properties at key locations around town.
Archer Aviation
This is all starting to feel pretty darn close to being a reality.
Archer is among the most funded eVTOL manufacturers out there, and it’s also in an exclusive club of companies with aircraft that have managed to transition from hover to horizontal flight, along with Joby, AutoFlight, and Beta Technologies.
Plus, it noted three years ago that it was targeting a 2025 window to launch the first phase of its urban air mobility network in NYC, with a view to fly folks from downtown Manhattan to Newark Liberty International Airport.
According to the AAM Reality Index – a rating tool that tracks eVTOL companies’ progress towards getting their aircraft and services off the ground – Archer appears to be on track to launch its commercial service this year. If the index is on the money, Archer will also be joined by Joby Aviation in taking off before 2025 is out. The latter completed a manned eVTOL flight with its S4 air taxi in NYC back in 2023.
Volocopter is also on the list for 2025; however, that’s a bit dicey given the company filed for insolvency last December, went into administration in January, and was acquired by Diamond Aircraft just a month ago.
Archer Aviation
Archer CEO Adam Goldstein previously said in 2023 that an air taxi ride from Manhattan to JFK could cost somewhere around US$150 a pop, similar to an Uber Black ride between the same points. Goldstein appears confident that NYC will clear Archer for takeoff soon enough: “With its existing helicopter infrastructure, regulatory support and strong demand, I believe New York could be one of the first markets for air taxis in the United States.”
Source: Archer Aviation
