President Donald Trump last week unveiled an executive order designed to give a lift to electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis—and that support has translated to fresh investment.
Manufacturer Archer Aviation on Thursday announced a massive $850 million funding raise, its largest to date. Archer tied the investment directly to Trump’s order, which creates a three-year eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) to study the design. It said the money will go toward building out electric charging infrastructure, artificial intelligence software, and other capabilities required to introduce its flagship Midnight in the coming months.
The raise follows a $300 million infusion led by Blackrock in February, giving Archer about $2 billion in cash to prepare for liftoff, it said. In a statement, founder and CEO Adam Goldstein called Trump’s order a “seminal moment for Archer and the eVTOL industry.”
“The U.S. has led the world in aerospace innovation over the last century, and we’re going to keep it that way,” Goldstein said in a social media post on X last week.
While Trump’s support has translated to financing, that money won’t necessarily translate to a faster commercial launch, Sergio Cecutta, who leads SMG Consulting’s Advanced Air Mobility Reality Index, told FLYING. The company’s most recent forecast places Midnight’s entry into service in 2028—about three years after Archer’s target.
“For the eVTOL, some additional funding will help, but it is not a substitute for flight hours, and those take time to build,” Cecutta said.
But Cecutta said the move could bolster Archer’s vision for a next-generation defense aircraft, which it is developing under the Archer Defense banner, launched in December with partner Anduril. Another defense contractor, Palantir, is helping Archer develop AI software to improve air traffic control, route planning, and its manufacturing facilities. Cecutta said that partnership may also benefit.
Laying the Groundwork
Archer believes Midnight can replace 60-90 minute commutes by car with quiet, zero-emission flights taking as little as 10 minutes.
The company has Olympic-level ambitions—literally. In May, Archer was picked as the official air taxi provider of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where it is building out an air taxi network that would cover airports such as Los Angeles International (KLAX) and several major venues. It shared photos of a Team USA-branded Midnight, which could ferry passengers between events and even assist security and medical personnel.
Before then, Archer—which last year got Part 135 air carrier permissions—hopes to launch a home-to-airport eVTOL service in partnership with United Airlines and Southwest Airlines. United has already placed an order for Midnight, while Southwest is exploring routes connecting its network of California terminals.
As with any new aircraft type, though, the road to commercialization will be bumpy. Midnight is designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers in urban areas. In New York, for example, nine initial “nodes” will encompass three major airports, heliports on Manhattan’s east and west sides, and regional airports in Teterboro, Westchester, and Long Island.
The model is not particularly fast (about 130 knots cruise speed) or high endurance (expected range of about 87 nm). But it takes off vertically like a helicopter and cruises on fixed wings like a plane, making it a bit tricky to fit into existing air traffic management systems. It also includes novel systems like battery packs and tilting propellers.
As a result, the FAA is taking a cautious approach to type certification. But an eVTOL Integration Pilot Program should help. The agency in 2017 launched a similar effort for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), which helped it create the regulations that have allowed early drone delivery services to lift off.
The previous FAA program let state and local governments get their hands on the drones to gather data that would allow them to integrate safely. The eIPP—which calls for five projects focused on areas such as cargo logistics and medical response—could produce a similar outcome.
Archer said it plans to “closely coordinate” with the White House, FAA, and Department of Transportation to take advantage of the program. Goldstein is set to meet with DOT Secretary Sean Duffy and acting FAA administrator Chris Rocheleau next week at the Paris Air Show, where Midnight will be on display.
Simultaneously, Archer will lay the groundwork for Midnight’s commercial launch. The biggest piece of that effort will comprise electric charging infrastructure.
The firm has partnerships with California-based realtor Kilroy and FBOs Atlantic Aviation and Signature Aviation, which have agreed to host Midnight flights and install chargers purchased from Beta Technologies. The chargers are aircraft-agnostic and will be capable of juicing up Midnight in less than 12 minutes, Archer says.
The firm is also building electric air taxi hubs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It has two Midnight “Launch Edition” customers in the United Arab Emirates, where it plans to begin flying as soon as this year.
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