Dive Brief:
- Archer Aviation today disclosed its plans for an air taxi network serving the New York City region’s major airports from Manhattan helipads using electrically powered vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
- In partnership with United Airlines, the proposed air taxi service would transport Manhattan travelers to airports including Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and New York City’s LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport within five to fifteen minutes, Archer said.
- The company envisions airline passengers booking the eVTOL service as a complement to traditional air travel.
Dive Insight:
Archer Aviation is awaiting type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration of its Midnight aircraft, designed to carry up to four passengers plus a pilot, which it would use for this service. The company previously announced plans for air taxi networks in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Southern California. It hopes to launch the latter in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Los Angeles. No date was given in today’s announcement for the planned New York service.
New York could become one of the first air taxi markets in the U.S., Archer CEO and founder Adam Goldstein said in a statement. “The New York region is home to three of the world’s preeminent airports, serving upwards of 150 million passengers annually. But the drive from Manhattan to any of these airports can be painful, taking one, sometimes two hours,” he said.
United Airlines is an investor in Archer Aviation and has placed an order for at least 100 aircraft. “Our strategic collaboration with Archer will be key to our efforts to build and optimize the infrastructure — such as real estate development, air space management, and safety and security protocols — necessary to bring advanced air mobility to our customers,” said Andrew Chang, head of United Airlines Ventures, in a statement.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft contains redundant systems, including a total of 12 engines and propellers, the company pointed out. Helicopters, like the Bell 206 that crashed into the Hudson River on April 10, killing six people, may be vulnerable to single-point failures in critical systems, according to safety experts.
Archer said it is also working with several infrastructure partners to develop and electrify aviation assets such as heliports. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it is collaborating with Archer and other air taxi manufacturers to explore how to safely integrate these new aircraft into the region’s larger transportation network. The authority manages the three New York-area airports as well as bus terminals, the PATH rail system and other parts of the region’s transportation network.
A map accompanying the press release shows additional destinations in the air taxi network Archer is developing, including Teterboro Airport in New Jersey along with Westchester County Airport and Republic Airport in New York.
