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 has secured an "established pathway" for "limited" commercial operations in the UAE, with the country's GCAA establishing a restricted type certificate (RTC) program for its Midnight eVTOL.
Archer claims to be the first eVTOL manufacturer to establish an RTC program with the GCAA, aiming for a commercial launch in the UAE by this year through partnerships with ADIO and Abu Dhabi Aviation.
While specific details on UAE operations (like passenger flights or exact start dates) are pending, Midnight will conduct non-commercial demonstration flights in the U.S. later this year under the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program.
A major remaining technical milestone for Archer is a piloted demonstration of Midnight's transition from hover to forward flight, a capability already achieved by key rivals.

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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.