Archer, UAE Regulator Agree on Streamlined Air Taxi Certification Process

Restricted type certificate (RTC) program creates a path to begin ‘limited’ commercial operations.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, May 07, 2026 at 03:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Archer’s flagship Midnight air taxi conducts a test flight in the United Arab Emirates. [Credit: Archer Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Archer Aviation secured a "restricted type certificate (RTC) program" with the UAE's GCAA for its Midnight eVTOL, establishing a pathway for "limited" commercial operations in the region.
Archer claims to be the first eVTOL manufacturer to establish such an RTC program with the GCAA, advancing its goal of commercial launch in the UAE by this year through partnerships with ADIO and Abu Dhabi Aviation.
While the specific nature of these "limited" commercial operations (e.g., passenger flights) is yet to be clarified, Archer's Midnight will also begin domestic demonstrations in the U.S. under the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program later this year.

See a mistake? Contact us.

California-based eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) air taxi developer Archer Aviation said Thursday that it secured an “established pathway” to begin “limited” commercial operations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Archer said the country’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) established a restricted type certificate (RTC) program for its flagship Midnight, streamlining the company’s path to operations. It did not say whether those operations would include passenger flights or when exactly they might begin.