Abu Dhabi is set to become the first city in the region to launch electric air taxis following a deal with US-based Archer Aviation. The test flights are expected to begin in the coming months.
Abu Dhabi Aviation Group intends to fund the deployment of the Midnight eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft, ADA announced on Thursday.
The agreement was signed by Nader Al Hammadi, chairman of Abu Dhabi Aviation, and Badr Al Olama, director-general of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO).
Under the deal, ADA will fund the deployment of Midnight, an electrical vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, solidifying Abu Dhabi’s leadership in next-generation transportation.
The aircraft is piloted, with a capacity of four passengers. The aircraft is designed to reduce the travel time of 60 to 90 minutes to just 10 to 20 minutes.
“We have been observing the advancements in eVTOL technology for years, and we are proud to partner with Archer to bring this innovation to the UAE,” said Nader Al Hammadi.
“As the largest helicopter operator in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi Aviation has the expertise to develop a scalable urban air mobility service. We are excited to lead the way in launching the region’s electric air taxi service, starting right here in Abu Dhabi.”
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The ADA and Archer will collaborate to create a scalable operational model for deploying Midnight commercially in other early adopter markets.
Archer will also provide ADA with a team of pilots, technicians, and engineers in the initial phase.
“This is how we’ll bring Midnight from the manufacturing line to our first customers — and it’s a playbook we’ll run repeatedly as we scale our operations globally,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer.
“Thank you to Abu Dhabi Aviation for being our first Launch Edition customer. We have a big year ahead.”