Archer’s Midnight Air Taxi Gets ‘Airworthiness Criteria’ From FAA

A Midnight Archer aircraft displayed during the International Paris Air Show at the ParisLe Bourget Airport on June 19, 2023. Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images

A flying taxi car has hit the critical “airworthiness criteria” milestone set by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which paves the path forward for its introduction into American airspace.

On May 24, the FAA issued the final “airworthiness criteria” for Archer Aviation’s Midnight aircraft. Midnight is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle that can conduct flights of 10-50 miles at speeds of up to 150 mph. The vehicles are designed to operate in urban environments and cut down transit periods in traffic-heavy regions. With the FAA setting the airworthiness criteria for Midnight, the company can now plan out the certification and commercialization plans of the aircraft.

The Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA), which represents and advocates for more than 74,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines, has expressed worries about the electric nature of eVTOLs.

“ALPA is concerned with aircraft battery standards, and the use of batteries as the sole energy source for aircraft propulsion and the associated hazards that come from classifying certain AAM aircraft and certification of those aircraft,” it said in comments submitted to the FAA on the agency’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) plan.

Midnight has become the second eVTOL aircraft to reach the FAA’s airworthiness criteria milestone. Archer’s rival Joby Aviation’s JAS4-1 Powered-Lift model hit the milestone in March.

Archer now has a pathway to achieve “Type Certification” for Midnight, which is issued by the FAA when the aircraft design is in compliance with applicable airworthiness, noise, fuel venting, and exhaust emissions standards.

“Midnight is one giant step closer to taking passengers into the sky in the coming years in the U.S. The final airworthiness criteria for Midnight is an important step on our journey to make electric flying taxis an everyday reality,” said Billy Nolen, Archer’s Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer and former Administrator of the FAA.

Archer Losses, Contracts

Archer suffered a net loss of $457.9 million in fiscal year 2023 ending Dec. 31. In the first quarter of this year, the company saw a net loss of $116.5 million.

Archer shares have been in the red since the beginning of the year, crashing by over 40 percent year-to-date as of 11:05 a.m., May 24.

Archer claims its eVTOL vehicles will reduce the time taken to travel from downtown Manhattan to Newark EWR airport from 52 minutes via a car to nine minutes. The air taxi features five seats—one pilot and four passengers. The firm expects its flying cars to begin operations next year.

The company has already secured some lucrative contracts. Last year, the U.S. Air Force expanded its deal with Archer, with the firm agreeing to supply six Midnight aircraft. The contract is worth $142 million.

Earlier in 2022, Archer signed a contract with United Airlines, with the airline putting up a $10 million deposit for 100 eVTOLs.

“United’s decision to place a deposit for 100 of Archer’s eVTOL aircraft signals its desire to be one of the first airline operators in the U.S. to bring eVTOL aircraft to market,” Archer said at the time.

In March last year, the two companies announced plans to launch the first air taxi route in Chicago between O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Vertiport Chicago, the largest vertical aircraft takeoff and landing facility in North America located in the Illinois Medical District.

The route usually takes an hour or more during rush hour traffic. Using Midnight slashes the time to just around 10 minutes, Archer claimed.

FAA Plan for Air Mobility

The FAA has issued “airworthiness criteria” for Archer and Joby as the agency works on its U.S. Advanced Air Mobility plan that aims to use new aircraft and related technologies for more efficient transportation options. In May last year, FAA invited comments on its Advanced Air Mobility plan.

The Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), the largest airline union in the United States, said the Advanced Air Mobility plan has “great potential to be a significant advancement in technology.”

However, it is an “unproven” transportation innovation that would have to be subject to rigorous scrutiny and regulation by the FAA, the union said.

“Even under the laboratory-like conditions AAM companies are testing these aircraft in today, this equipment is crashing at a much higher rate than traditional aircraft. While we would expect this rate to come down as the industry evolves, the DOT (Department of Transportation) should never set standards based on hopes and anticipations.”

TWU noted that since AAM aircraft fly lower and closer to buildings and the ground, pilots would have less time to overcome any mechanical issues they face during the flight.

According to a report by Precedence Research, the global flying taxi market was valued at $2.94 billion in 2022. Over the 10-year period until 2032, it is projected to be worth around $37.24 billion. North America is expected to have the maximum market share from 2023 to 2032.

The report predicts that a rising need for a faster transportation system will boost the demand for flying taxis in the region. In addition, “significantly rising technological innovations” are expected to contribute to the growth of flying taxis.

As the governments of the United States and Canada back the utilization of flying taxis, this support will act as the “driving factor for the market’s growth in the region.”