Leveraging Existing Heliports And Airports To Cut Travel Time

Archer Aviation announced a blueprint for an eVTOL network in New York City that would connect travelers between Manhattan and nearby airports in New York and New Jersey that would use existing aviation assets like helipads in the city and airports as nodes for travelers looking to save travel time.

United Airlines has partnered with Archer to permit passengers to book eVTOL flights similar to conventional airline travel to reduce door-to-door travel times to less than 15 minutes. The air taxi network would use Archer’s Midnight aircraft to fly up to four passengers but produce less noise and emissions than normal helicopters.

Adam Goldstein, CEO and Founder of Archer said, “The New York region is home to three of the world’s preeminent airports, serving upwards of 150 million passengers annually. But the drive from Manhattan to any of these airports can be painful, taking one, sometimes two hours. We want to change that by giving residents and visitors the option to complete trips in mere minutes.”

Archer is working on infrastructure with partners including Atlantic Aviation, Signature Aviation, and Skyports/GroupeADP, along with their new partners Modern Aviation and Air Pegasus to develop and electrify aviation assets in the proposed network. Meanwhile the company is also working with the FAA toward certification of its Midnight aircraft.

Andrew Chang, Head of United Airlines Ventures said, “At United, our focus is on driving innovation, reimagining the future of air travel and enhancing the customer experience every step of the journey. Our strategic collaboration with Archer will be key to our efforts to build and optimize the infrastructure – such as real estate development, air space management, and safety and security protocols – necessary to bring advanced air mobility to our customers.”

The announcement of the proposed New York City eVTOL network follows on Archer’s previously announced networks in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

FMI:  archer.com/