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The US Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration announced today that Archer’s partners in Texas, Florida and New York were selected for the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, a major step toward bringing air taxis to market in the United States.
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The program creates a first-of-its-kind pathway to help bring the first new category of aircraft in nearly 80 years to market.
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Archer will now work directly with partners in Texas, Florida and New York to begin laying the groundwork for early Midnight operations in those states as soon as the second half of 2026.
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The speed at which the DOT and FAA are rolling out this program signals the importance the US government is placing on ensuring American leadership in the next generation of aviation.
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Archer (NYSE: ACHR) announced today that the US Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration have selected its partners in Texas, Florida and New York to participate in the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), marking a major step toward bringing electric air taxis to market in the United States.
Archer’s Midnight air taxi during a test flight
The program creates a first-of-its-kind pathway to help bring the first new category of aircraft in nearly 80 years to market.
The announcement is one of the clearest signs yet that the US government is moving with urgency to support the commercialization of eVTOL aircraft and ensure American leadership in this new category of aviation.
By enabling early operations in select markets, this program is designed to help industry, regulators and local stakeholders work together to build the operational playbook for safe, scalable deployment.
Archer will now work across these locations—with its partners including the Texas Department of Transportation, the Florida Department of Transportation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey—to prepare for flights of its Midnight aircraft under the eIPP, including standing up local operating teams, infrastructure and procedures to ensure safe, measured deployment.
“This is the clearest sign yet from the White House, the FAA and the DOT that bringing air taxis to market in the United States is a real priority,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer. “We appreciate Secretary Duffy and Administrator Bedford’s leadership and are excited to bring Midnight to the skies of some of America’s largest cities.”
Archer expects this effort to generate valuable operational experience that will help inform future deployments in the US and drive public acceptance, including as it continues to prepare for air taxi operations in Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Much like robotaxi pilot programs across the US, this program allows Archer to work with federal regulators, states, and communities to both build trust and establish the playbook for safely scaling electric air taxis across the country.
Midnight is Archer’s piloted electric air taxi designed to carry up to four passengers while producing less noise and emissions than a traditional helicopter. Midnight is built with redundant systems across the aircraft—including 12 total engines and propellers—allowing Archer to target similar levels of safety as commercial airliners.
Archer’s goal is to enable passengers to replace 60-90 minute trips on the ground with quiet, all electric flights using Midnight, dramatically reducing travel times compared to traditional ground transportation and helping avoid growing levels of congestion.
About Archer
Archer is designing and developing the key enabling technologies and aircraft necessary to power the future of aviation. To learn more, visit www.archer.com.
Source: Archer
Text: ArcherIR
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Archer’s future business plans, expectations, and opportunities. These statements include those regarding the design and target specifications of its aircraft, the pace of design, development, certification, testing, manufacturing and commercialization of its planned eVTOL aircraft, or its ability to do so at all; plans to deploy aircraft and support pre-certification operations under the eIPP; market adoption of eVTOL; and anticipated benefits of acquisitions, strategic investments, and collaborations with third parties. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors. The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted are more fully detailed in Archer’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, available at www.sec.gov. Archer undertakes no obligation to update these statements as a result of new information or future events.
Source: Archer Aviation