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FAA Issues Final Airworthiness Criteria for Archer Midnight Air Taxi

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Archer Aviation achieves a critical regulatory milestone, laying the foundation for type certification of its aircraft.

Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 04:35 PM ET

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Archer’s Midnight eVTOL air taxi is just the second such aircraft, following Joby Aviation’s eVTOL air taxi, to receive final airworthiness criteria from the FAA. [Courtesy: Archer Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Archer Aviation's Midnight eVTOL air taxi received final airworthiness criteria from the FAA, marking a significant regulatory milestone towards type certification.
This approval allows Archer to proceed with crucial for-credit flight testing, moving closer to its goal of launching commercial operations as early as 2025.
Archer plans to deploy Midnight air taxi services, designed for a pilot and four passengers, in major U.S. cities like New York and Chicago in partnership with United Airlines.

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Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Archer Aviation on Thursday achieved a critical milestone in the type certification process for its flagship Midnight aircraft.

The FAA on Thursday issued final airworthiness criteria for the company’s Midnight Model M001, making the aircraft only the second eVTOL air taxi to achieve that regulatory milestone in the U.S. The approval lays out the standards the regulator will use to gauge the aircraft’s ability to integrate into U.S. airspace. Archer aims to launch Midnight air taxi routes in New York and Chicago in partnership with United Airlines as soon as next year.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.