Archer Aviation says it hopes to get Abu Dhabi's first flying taxis in the air this year, viewing the technology-obsessed Gulf as the launch pad to show the rest of the world how it is done.
Founder Adam Goldstein told The National the company is “ready to launch” in 2025. The ambitious time frame is based on using the capital's existing helicopter flight paths and air traffic control rather than building a system from scratch.
“We've made great partners with Etihad Aviation Training, all the partners across the entire ecosystem. So, the goal is to really start flying aircraft in Abu Dhabi this year. That's incredibly exciting,” Mr Goldstein told The National at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month.
Archer is backed by car giant Stellantis and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala. It is collaborating with organisations in the UAE, including the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio), Abu Dhabi Airports, Falcon Aviation Services, Etihad Aviation Training and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to try and get the first commercially viable electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles off the ground. In Dubai, Joby Aviation, backed by Toyota, is the first operator of flying taxis, with a 2026 launch date.
Mr Goldstein says the first of Archer’s electric aircraft, the Midnight, designed to carry up to four passengers and a pilot with a range of 160km, can be in the skies of Abu Dhabi this year.
“We'll start at really low levels where there's already existing routes, existing air traffic control. And the reason is because helicopters fly every day,” he said.
“We've partnered with the large helicopter companies in Abu Dhabi and we'll largely follow a lot of the same patterns. We'll start small and we'll give plenty of time for the entire ecosystem to evolve with us.”
We'll start small and we'll give plenty of time for the entire ecosystem to evolve with us
Adam Goldstein,
Archer Aviation
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 company says its long-term goal is to replace 60 to 90-minute trips by car with 10 to 20-minute electric air taxis.
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 said.
It is expected there will be just a handful in the air at any time during the early days.
“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.
Archer is awaiting regulatory approval from Abu Dhabi's authorities. The industry at large has been working towards the point at which the sums add up. Archer and Joby Aviation have drawn in billions of dollars in investment and their share prices surge on the expectation of a launch soon.
“We're at this really interesting point in the industry's life cycle, where you've seen a lot of the key emerging technologies, like battery technology, get to this point – so you can now fly vehicles that make economic sense,” he said.
“At the same time, a lot of the regulation has come into a spot that's been formalised – and Archer has spent a lot of time going through that process to prove that these vehicles are safe.
“As that process has matured, we're now at the stage we're ready to launch. Abu Dhabi has been a great partner to Archer, really for a long time.”
Mr Goldstein says decision-makers in the Emirates and the broader Gulf are ahead when it comes to vision.
“We are acting as a big advertising campaign to the entire GCC. We have incredible new technologies, you have a region that's emerging, and there's an opportunity to launch them in the broader GCC,” he said.
When asked about safety, Mr Goldstein said aerial vehicles have a far stronger record than motor vehicles.
“This is a technology that's been worked on for a very long time. There's been a lot of flight testing that's gone into it, and there will continue to be a lot more flight testing that goes into it,” he said.
The Midnight is flown by a pilot but he envisages no need for human involvement, with many systems on board already automated. Archer has recently signed a $140 million deal with the US Department of Defence to look at how eVTOLs could be used in operations. It delivered the first Midnight aircraft to the US Air Force in August 2024.
Neither Archer nor the US government has said if they see the aircraft being used in warfare, but Mr Goldstein gave an example of their use in rescue missions.
“If you think about areas where there is contested space and you had to go rescue, let's say, soldiers, you might not want to fly in an unmanned vehicle,” he said.
“But you could fly in an unmanned vehicle. And if those vehicles were also substantially lower cost, you're not risking expensive assets or people. There are opportunities here to build new vehicles that will be autonomous, that I think the world will benefit from.”
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Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
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Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
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It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
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Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Japan
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Ferrari
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Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)
Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)