Archer Aviation Plans First Flight of Midnight eVTOL

The firm recently completed the final assembly of its first Midnight aircraft.

Jack Daleo

Friday, May 12, 2023 at 02:05 PM ET

Verified

Pictured: Archer Aviation’s Midnight (front, right) and Maker (back, left) eVTOL aircraft. [Courtesy: Archer Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Archer Aviation has rolled out its fully assembled Midnight eVTOL aircraft, aiming to launch an air taxi service in Chicago by 2025.
The company plans to begin unpiloted flight tests this summer and targets FAA type certification for Midnight by the end of 2024.
Midnight is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers on back-to-back 20-mile flights at up to 150 mph, offering a cost-competitive alternative to ground-based commutes.
Archer is well-positioned for success, backed by a $150 million investment from Stellantis, a $1 billion purchase order from United Airlines for planned Chicago and Newark routes, and issued FAA airworthiness criteria.

See a mistake? Contact us.

By 2025, Archer Aviation hopes to operate an air taxi service in Chicago. That’s the bull’s-eye, and the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) manufacturer is steadily adding arrows to its quill to hit it.

The latest—and biggest to date—was the company’s rollout of its fully assembled Midnight eVTOL, a major milestone that Archer says will allow it to begin flight tests as early as this summer. After that, it’ll move to testing with the FAA, with the goal of achieving type certification by the end of 2024.