Archer’s 'Midnight' air taxi moves closer to UAE launch

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has advanced plans to bring Archer Aviation’s electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Midnight, into service.

Archer is the first eVTOL aircraft maker to enter the authority’s Restricted Type Certificate programme, paving the way for limited commercial operations.

It also ensures that Midnight is developed under a regulatory baseline that supports long-term commercial viability within the UAE.

The move follows several years of testing and cooperation between the UAE regulator and the company, including multiple on-site inspections by experts at Archer’s headquarters and flight test facilities in the US, as well as in-country flights with Midnight.

A cornerstone of this advanced regulatory phase is initiating a GCAA Design Organization Approval and Production Organization Approval.

These designations signify a high degree of trust in Archer’s engineering and safety management systems.

“The GCAA is committed to safely integrating innovative aviation technologies into the UAE airspace,” said Aqeel Al Zarooni, Assistant Director-General, Aviation Safety Affairs Sector at GCAA.

Through this programme, Archer and the GCAA have made progress across eight workstreams critical to commercial readiness, including aircraft certification, operations, maintenance, flight crew training, airspace, vertiports, security and oversight.

Midnight is expected to begin operations in Abu Dhabi with local partner Abu Dhabi Aviation.