Flying taxis will hit UAE skies in 2026, reducing journeys from 60 minutes to 10 minutes – News
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The aircraft is designed to perform fast consecutive flights with minimal loading time between flights.
Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and US-based Archer Aviation have signed an agreement with plans to begin air taxi operations in the UAE capital and across the country in 2026.
Abu Dhabi will be the first international launch partner for Archer, a leader in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. As part of this strategic initiative, ADIO plans to support Archer with incentives to establish its first international headquarters and manufacturing facilities in the Intelligent and Autonomous Vehicles Industry Cluster (Savi) in Abu Dhabi.
Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director-general of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), revealed that the federal body has already inspected Archer’s Midnight electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
“The GCAA recently visited Archer Aviation’s global headquarters in California to inspect its Midnight aircraft and learn about its progress toward certification with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “Our goal is to approve the Archer air taxi for flight 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.”
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Badr Al-Olama, Acting Director General of Abu Dhabi Investment Office, said: “We are delighted to be working with Archer to host its first international operations in Abu Dhabi. Bringing electric aviation to the UAE will help unblock congestion with zero emissions and, in turn, bring millions in foreign direct investment and thousands of jobs to the region over the next decade.”
According to the California company, its goal is to transform urban travel by replacing 60- to 90-minute car journeys with electric air taxi flights lasting an estimated 10 to 20 minutes.
Archer Aviation Founder and CEO Adam Goldstein stressed: “Archer plans to partner closely with ADIO and the Department of Economic Development to bring our air taxi manufacturing and operations to the region. 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.”
Archer has raised more than $1.1 billion in funding to date, including investments from Mubadala Capital, United Airlines, Stellantis and Boeing. Archer is expected to showcase its Midnight aircraft in the region for the first time at the Dubai Airshow as well as at the Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF) hosted by the GCAA next month.
Meera Al Suwaidi, head of value creation at Mubadala Investment Company, said: “Through our asset management subsidiary Mubadala Capital, we have been investors in Archer for several years. “We look forward to working alongside them for the debut of their Midnight aircraft at the Dubai Airshow later this year and continuing discussions to further expand our collaboration.”
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, said: “We are excited to work with Archer to begin establishing a high-volume manufacturing facility for the Midnight aircraft in the United States over the past several years. “We hope this first production site will be a model for Archer’s future manufacturing facilities as it expands its operations to serve new regions, starting with the Middle East, where we see extraordinary potential for urban air mobility.”
Archer’s Midnight is a four-passenger piloted aircraft designed to perform rapid consecutive flights with minimal charging time between flights.
According to Archer, it is working with numerous industry partners in the UAE to support its plans to commercialize operations in the UAE by 2026. Archer has signed memorandums of understanding with Falcon Aviation, which will operate its air taxis in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as with GAL. -AMMROC, which will provide MRO support for Archer’s eVTOL aircraft.
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