Air taxi services will be available in the UAE starting in 2025. This year alone, US-based Archer Aviation has conducted over 400 test flights of ‘Midnight’ in preparation for the launch next year.
The company, which will operate the taxis, conducted 402 tests in the first eight months, surpassing its target of 400 test runs four months ahead of the schedule set for 2024.
Archer earlier this year signed agreements with the UAE companies to build vertiports, manufacture Midnight aircraft in Abu Dhabi and set up regional headquarters in UAE ahead of the launch of air taxis in the UAE in 2025.
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The Midnight, which will be able to carry 4 passengers plus a pilot, will reduce 60-90 minute travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi to just 10-20 minutes. The ride between Dubai and Abu Dhabi will cost around Dh800-Dh1,500, while a ride within Dubai will cost approximately Dh350.
In mid-August, Archer Aviation delivered the first aircraft to the US Air Force for evaluation.
“When we first set our goal for 400 flights this year, it was viewed as aggressive… I’m proud of the Archer flight test team and the supporting groups that made it happen,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer.
Each flight produces critical data that is used to evaluate and refine aircraft loads, vibrations, performance and handling qualities.
Archer has been focusing on several key areas for testing. This includes conducting longer-distance and higher-speed transition flights to gather data, extend endurance and ensure maximum safety; increasing per-day flights to simulate the high cadence of Archer’s anticipated commercial operations and test Midnight’s durability; completing a series of hover landings in various wind conditions with different rates of descent; and conducting a series of hover operations with various microphone arrays to collect supplemental data for the Federal Aviation Authority in the US and to evaluate further and tune Midnight’s noise signature.