Archer Aviation’s prototype electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi has reached record heights during its piloted flight test campaign.
Archer on Monday announced that its Midnight aircraft climbed to 7,000 feet during a recent test flight, marking a new milestone as the company works to expand the envelope. Midnight began crewed testing in June and last month achieved a 55-mile flight—its longest yet.
Per its second quarter earnings report, Archer has three type-conforming aircraft in final assembly at its facilities in California and Georgia, with another three in the pipeline.
“Our test pilots will continue to safely and methodically test Midnight’s speed, duration, and mission profiles to prepare for early commercial operations,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer, in a statement.
Though Midnight is expected to cruise at around 2,000 feet, Archer said that “having the operational capability to operate at higher altitudes provides flexibility for managing air traffic in high-density environments and allows these aircraft to be able to operate in certain cities at elevation.”
Expanding the Air Taxi Envelope
Archer has lofty ambitions for Midnight, which is designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers on 20 to 50 sm urban trips for the price of a high-end Uber.
In addition to plans for home-to-airport services in partnership with United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, the company aims to ferry spectators and athletes around the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It was chosen in May as the event’s official air taxi provider.
Before then, Archer will need to obtain type, production, and airworthiness certification for Midnight. It aims to launch commercial air taxi service in the United Arab Emirates as soon as next year, with a U.S. launch to follow.
However, SMG Consulting’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Reality Index projects Midnight’s U.S. entry into service in 2027. That’s in part due to the company’s pace of testing.
On its altitude record-setting flight, Midnight took off from Archer’s test facility in Salinas, California, climbed steadily to 7,000 feet, and flew 45 miles at a top speed north of 120 mph. Its previous 55-mile flight lasted 31 minutes and surpassed 126 mph. Sorties during the preceding week approached 150 mph—the model’s intended cruise speed.
But Archer has yet to complete a piloted transition from hover to forward flight—a validation of Midnight’s most critical capability. Like competitor Joby Aviation’s S4, the model deploys an array of tilt propellers. Midnight’s six battery packs power a dozen propellers, half of which swivel to support both vertical and fixed-wing flight.
Midnight achieved its first uncrewed transition flight in June 2024. While Joby in April achieved the maneuver with a pilot on board, Archer has yet to do so.
However, Archer in August said four of its test pilots are conducting “regular” Midnight test flights as the company looks to advance to type inspection authorization (TIA) testing with the FAA. It also delivered its first aircraft to the UAE, where it is undergoing testing in scorching desert conditions.
Tom Muniz, Archer’s chief technology officer, said on the company’s recent earnings call that the goal is to “get back to VTOL flying with the pilots on board later this year.”
Muniz said Archer in recent months has discussed TIA entrance criteria and execution plans with the FAA. Goldstein said the firm aims to begin TIA testing of Midnight and its systems later this year, but the industry is waiting on the FAA to finalize a set of flight test rules.
Archer is also one of several electric air taxi developers to throw its hat in the ring for the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP). The three-year, White House-directed initiative will authorize precertification flights to study use cases such as passenger transport or medical logistics. Data collected from at least five eIPP projects is intended to inform regulations that could dictate future operations for Midnight and other models.
Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.
