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UAE: Flying taxi to arrive in Abu Dhabi in 'coming months'
Abu Dhabi Aviation is US eVTOL manufacturer Archer’s first Launch Edition customer, with plans to deploy an initial fleet of Midnight aircraft later this year
The US eVTOL manufacturer Archer on Thursday said it will fly Midnight aircraft — which will operate as a flying taxi in the UAE — in the Emirate in the coming months with a target to launch a passenger flight in Abu Dhabi later this year.
Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA) is Archer’s first Launch Edition customer, with plans to deploy an initial fleet of Midnight aircraft later this year.
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An agreement was signed between Archer and Abu Dhabi Aviation this week for setting forth a framework to fund the deployment of the Midnight Launch Edition aircraft.
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To support launch of flying taxi operations in UAE, Archer said its personnel will now work together with Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA) to fly Midnight in the coming months in the UAE and is aiming for a passenger flight in Abu Dhabi later this year.
The two will also collaborate across pilot training, flight operations and community engagement as well.
Archer also plans to provide ADA with a team of pilots, technicians and engineers to support the initial operational ramp, helping ensure a safe and efficient deployment. Archer also plans to provide backend software infrastructure and front-end booking applications to help power urban air mobility operations during the Launch Edition programme.
Archer will be the first company in the UAE to launch flying taxi operations. Its Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights. It reduces 60-90-minute commutes by car to just 10-30 minutes between different emirates of the country.
As reported by Khaleej Times earlier, the cost to travel between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in a flying taxi is expected to be Dh800 to Dh1,500 while fares within the emirate of Dubai could be around Dh350.
Under the agreement with Abu Dhabi, Archer will manufacture Midnight in the UAE to supply it to the wider region.
Archer said it will work with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and its other established partners in the region to launch electric air taxis in Abu Dhabi this year.
In addition to Archer, Joby is working with Dubai to launch a flying taxi. In January, the UAE's first commercial vertiport for flying taxis was named Dubai International Vertiport (DXV) due to its location near Dubai International Airport (DXB).
“Abu Dhabi Aviation has the expertise to develop a scalable urban air mobility service and we are excited to lead the way in launching the region’s first electric air taxi service, starting right here in Abu Dhabi,” said Nader Al Hammadi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Aviation.
“The unveiling of our Launch Edition program marks the beginning of the next chapter for Archer. This is how we’ll bring Midnight from the manufacturing line to our first customers — and it’s a playbook we’ll run repeatedly as we scale our operations globally. Thank you to Abu Dhabi Aviation for being our first Launch Edition customer. We have a big year ahead,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and Founder of Archer.
As part of its commercialisation programme, Archer aims to deploy Midnight in dozens of early adopter markets in advance of the type certification of the aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Waheed Abbas
Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that directly affect the lives of UAE consumers. He frequently reports human interest stories, too.
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