Archer says it will launch an air taxi service in New York City with United Airlines, which will include routes between Manhattan and major airports like JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. The aviation company aims to replace hourlong taxi rides along congested roads with breezy flights lasting between 5-15 minutes.
Archer and United would utilize preexisting helipads at East 34th Street, West 30th Street, and Lower Manhattan to launch its all-electric Midnight aircraft, which has space for four passengers and a pilot. Passengers would be able to travel from the helipads to all three major airports, as well as three smaller, regional hubs at Westchester County Airport, Teterboro Airport, and Republic Airport.
Passengers would book air taxi trips as an “add on” to their existing flights — though the price is still to be determined. A one-way ride from Manhattan to JFK Airport on one of Blade’s helicopters typically cost around $265 per seat.
The companies won’t say when they intend on launching an NYC air taxi service, but Archer has said its aircraft will make their commercial debut in Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics.
Before it can launch, Archer needs to obtain type certification for its Midnight air taxi, which means the aircraft meets all the FAA’s design and safety standards. The company has previously received Parts 135 and 145 certification for on-demand services and specialized repair.
Midnight has a range of up to 100 miles (nearly 160km) at speeds of up to 150mph (241 km/h), on pure battery power. Using tilt rotors, Midnight is designed to take off and land vertically like a helicopter and then transition into forward flight like a plane.
The company is also moving more into the defense space, with plans to next-gen military aircraft for Anduril Industries. This funding round included investments from Blackrock, Willington, and leading institutional developers, Archer says.
Air taxis, sometimes misidentified by the mainstream media as “flying cars,” are essentially helicopters without the noisy, polluting gas motors (though they certainly have their own unique noise profile). In addition to Archer, companies like Joby Aviation, Volocopter, and Beta Technologies have claimed they are on the cusp of launching services that will eventually scale up nationwide. But others have floundered; German company Lilium recently said that two of its subsidiaries were insolvent and could cease operations.
