Midnight

The aircraft will be evaluated in for-credit testing with the regulator, a crucial step in type certification for a new design.

The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design from Archer Aviation is making ‘rapid progress’ in development, the manufacturer said.

Archer said the initial focus on battery cell safety is part of a ‘much larger partnership’ between it and the space agency.

The manufacturers will install electric aircraft chargers from coast to coast as they quarrel over whose charging system, Joby’s or Beta’s, should be the industry standard.

The eVTOL manufacturer and new partner InterGlobe will initially offer air taxi services in the Indian cities of Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

Archer is eyeing “for-credit” testing with the FAA next year ahead of Midnight’s commercial launch, expected in 2025.

Construction on the Covington, Georgia facility, which is expected to produce up to 650 Midnight aircraft per year, is already well underway.

The installment is expected to be the first of many for Archer, which signed contracts with AFWERX Agility Prime worth up to $142 million in July.

The Air Force’s AFWERX division will deploy up to six aircraft for personnel transport, logistics support, rescue operations, and more.

Former Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen tells FLYING why he joined Archer Aviation and what the company has planned for the future.