Earlier in December, Archer Aviation, an American eVTOL company, entered into a formal agreement with key stakeholders within Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates to solidify plans for commercial air taxi operations in the region as soon as 2026, Electrek reported.
Electric vertical take-off-and-landing aircraft, which are powered by batteries instead of dirty energy sources, could be a revolutionary transportation method that shortens commute times for consumers while limiting harmful pollution to the environment.
This formal agreement between the parties follows an Oct. 2023 Memorandum of Understanding between the involved stakeholders to lay the groundwork for realizing commercial air taxis in the Abu Dhabi region.
"The UAE is a cornerstone of Archer's future, and these partnerships are key to making that future a reality," Archer's chief commercial officer, Nikhil Goel, said.
Archer's recent press release announcing the formal partnership described the company's goal "to be the first manufacturer of electric vertical-take-off-and-landing aircraft in the Middle East and North Africa region and the first to launch commercial flying taxi operations in the Emirate."
Midnight, Archer's eVTOL aircraft, claims to turn "hour-long commutes into minutes in the air." Featuring 12 electric motors powered by six lithium-ion batteries, speeds of up to 150 mph, and a noise level that is 100 times quieter than the average helicopter, Midnight seems to provide innovative yet sustainable answers for the travel and aviation industries.
Electrifying the aviation industry could reduce the emission of heat-trapping gasses from dirty energy that contributes to the planet's warming.
Brisbane Airport in Australia has taken the lead in installing a common-use electric charging system for airside equipment. Maeve Aerospace is designing a hybrid electric airplane that will reduce aviation pollution.
However, some are skeptical about the reality of eVTOLs and air-flying taxis.
🗣️ Would you feel comfortable riding in an air taxi?
🔘 Heck yeah 💯
🔘 I'd be a little nervous 😬
🔘 It would be pretty scary 😱
🔘 No way I'm riding in one 🙅
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"So there's this noise about various entities making deals about non-existent things, but it all sounds like maybe I should be reading about it on SEC fraud discussion channel," one Electrek commenter wrote.
"There is still a lot of work that needs to be done and … that …. is a little bit of a reflection of why you see a lot of the companies maybe not being so vocal with announcements or anything," Sergio Cecutta, partner of SMG Consulting, an aerospace, defense, and auto tech consulting firm, commented in an exclusive interview with Aviation International News.
"[eVTOLs are] not just another airplane … This is a completely new form of transportation on which I think there is a lot of unknowns, and until you start doing it, you don't know."
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