Archer & United present plans for flying taxi network in NY
The eVTOL startup and United Airlines have presented a map with potential routes across the city of New York, including both airports and NYC helipads. The companies plan for this to help passengers get around more easily by “dramatically reducing travel times compared to traditional ground transportation and helping avoid the city’s notorious traffic.” The partners did not include a potential launch timeline for their plan.
Archer Aviation’s Midnight electric VTOL can carry up to four passengers, and when the aircraft was presented in 2022, the Midnight was claimed to support a payload of over 1,000 pounds and that it was optimised for short flights up to 20 miles. It can then recharge over a 10 minute period between flights.
By the summer of 2024, Archer Aviation managed to receive its FAA safety certification, allowing for it to launch commercial flight operations in the USA. Shortly afterwards, an agreement was announced together with Southwest Airlines for a potential eVTOL network in California that is strongly reminiscent of what Archer is attempting with United in New York. Regarding operations in New York, the FAA certification will not be sufficient for operating in the city, as Archer writes: “Archer is continuing to work with the FAA to seek Type Certification of its Midnight aircraft. Once Type Certification is received, Archer and its operating partners plan to safely and seamlessly integrate Midnight into service, beginning with major airports like those in the New York City area.”
United Airlines is not the only partner involved, although having a traditional airline on board is important, as Archer aims to provide a compliment to traditional airline travel, “reducing door to door travel times.” Archer explained that it is also working closely with infrastructure partners, “including Atlantic Aviation, Signature Aviation and Skyports/GroupeADP, as well as new partners Modern Aviation and Air Pegasus, to develop and electrify aviation assets in this proposed network.”
“The New York region is home to three of the world’s preeminent airports, serving upwards of 150 million passengers annually. But the drive from Manhattan to any of these airports can be painful, taking one, sometimes two hours,” explained Adam Goldstein, CEO and Founder of Archer, adding: “We want to change that by giving residents and visitors the option to complete trips in mere minutes. 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.”
United Airlines is also looking to expand its portfolio into new operating models, as Andrew Chang, Head of United Airlines Ventures said: “Our strategic collaboration with Archer will be key to our efforts to build and optimize the infrastructure – such as real estate development, air space management, and safety and security protocols – necessary to bring advanced air mobility to our customers.”
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