A fleet of flying taxis operating in Abu Dhabi became more of a likelihood following confirmation of an agreement between the emirate's aviation authority and the firm behind the machines.
As The National reported last month, Archer Aviation was working towards launching a fleet of flying taxis before the end of the year, viewing the Gulf as the perfect launch pad to demonstrate its vehicles to the rest of the world.
Abu Dhabi Aviation confirmed on Thursday morning that an agreement had been made to deploy the first fleet of Archer Aviation's Midnight electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft this year.
"As a leading force in the aviation industry across the region and the largest helicopter operator in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi Aviation has the expertise to develop a scalable urban air mobility service," said Nader Al Hammadi, chairman of Abu Dhabi Aviation. "We are excited to lead the way in launching the region’s electric air taxi service, starting right here in Abu Dhabi.”
Abu Dhabi Aviation will fund the deployment of the Midnight flying taxis, making it the first operator of electric air taxis in the region, according to a statement released on Thursday. The Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights.
Archer Aviation's goal is to "transform urban travel, replacing 60–90-minute commutes by car with an estimated 10 to 20-minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, and low noise". A senior figure said the collaboration with Abu Dhabi is key to their global plans, referring to it as "Launch Edition". If the project is successfully adopted in the UAE, the company expects to then roll it out globally.
“The unveiling of Launch Edition marks the beginning of the next chapter for Archer," said Adam Goldstein, chief executive and founder of Archer. "This is how we’ll bring Midnight from the manufacturing line to our first customers – and it’s a playbook we’ll run repeatedly as we scale our operations globally. Thank you to Abu Dhabi Aviation for being our first Launch Edition customer. We have a big year ahead."
Up in the air
Early operations are expected to be from Abu Dhabi airport to the city centre, which is about 30 minutes by car but six or seven minutes in a Midnight eVTOL travelling up to 260 kph, The National reported last month.
Mr Goldstein puts the pricing around the Uber Black range. So passengers could pay about Dh350 ($95) for a flight from Zayed International Airport to Emirates Palace, the luxury hotel on the Corniche.
“These are not just toys for the rich. These are vehicles that are accessible and these are vehicles that are much quieter,” he told The National previously. It is expected there will just be a handful in the air at any time during the early days of the operation.
“I think the visions of highways in the sky will come one day, but those might be a few years down the road,” Mr Goldstein said.
