First commercial air taxi flight to take off in Abu Dhabi

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

In the presence of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs, Archer Aviation Inc. has signed a multi-party cooperation agreement to initiate commercial air taxi operations in Abu Dhabi.

The agreement, signed under the guidance of the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council, aims to formalise collaboration among UAE and Abu Dhabi stakeholders in preparation for the launch of the first commercial air taxi flight.

It also seeks to establish the first manufacturer of vertical electric vehicles in the Middle East and North Africa region, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), Abu Dhabi Airports (AD Airports), Falcon Aviation Services, Etihad Aviation Training, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Global Air Navigation Services (GANS), Global Aerospace Logistics (GAL), and the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility), part of Department of Municipalities and Transport – Abu Dhabi.

The partnership represents a strong alignment between leading aviation companies and follows a previous collaboration agreement between Archer Aviation Inc. and ADIO to accelerate air taxi commercialisation in Abu Dhabi.

Badr Al-Olama, Director-General of the ADIO, said, "We are pleased to see leading members of Abu Dhabi’s aviation sector collaborating with Archer to support the launch of air taxis in the emirate. This partnership marks a major milestone in the efforts led by Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Systems Council to accelerate smart and advanced mobility solutions, further solidifying the emirate’s position as a global leader in smart and autonomous vehicles.”

Dignitaries during the signing of the agreement.

Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the GCAA, said, “We are committed to launching electric air taxis safely in the UAE. Today’s consortium announcement showcases the importance of collaboration across the country’s preeminent aviation entities in order to host Archer’s Midnight in the region next year.”

Captain Paolo La Cava, CEO of Etihad Aviation Training, said, “Abu Dhabi continues to lead the way in safe aviation innovation, and we look forward to working with Archer to train and recruit pilots for their electric air taxis, which we hope will carry passengers to and from Zayed International Airport in the near future.”

Nikhil Goel, Chief Commercial Officer of Archer Aviation, said, "The UAE is a cornerstone of Archer’s future, and these partnerships are key to making that future a reality. The comprehensive support from our partners, combined with Abu Dhabi's forward-thinking approach to next-gen transportation, creates an ideal environment for launching Midnight.”

The GCAA has been working closely with Archer, including organising a week-long workshop at Archer’s headquarters and flight test facility in November 2024, to establish the necessary regulatory framework to certify Archer’s Midnight aircraft and approve air taxi commercial air taxi operations.