A fleet of electric air taxis from California will be cruising above the crowded streets of Delhi, India, in 2026, according to an agreement signed between Archer Aviation and India’s InterGlobe travel conglomerate. The memorandum of understanding allows for the purchase of up to 200 four-passenger Archer Midnight eVTOLs, with plans to build vertiport infrastructures around the Delhi region.
“India is one of, if not the largest opportunity for eVTOL aircraft utilization in the world, as it is home to the world’s largest population of over 1.4 billion people,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer CEO in a statement. “Its largest cities face some of the greatest congestion challenges in the world.”
As one of its “taxi routes,” InterGlobe plans to fly about 20 miles from Connaught Place to Gurugram in 7 minutes, a car trip that typically takes about 69 to 90 minutes. “We are excited at this new opportunity of bringing an effective, futuristic and sustainable transport solution by introducing Archer’s electric aircraft to India,” said Rahul Bhatia, managing director of InterGlobe the statement.
Archer has plans to create an international network in India and the United Arab Emirates in 2026.
The agreement is a significant one for California-based Archer, which is the only U.S. eVTOL manufacturer that has released plans to expand beyond North America. The company also announced that the Midnight would make its public debut at the Dubai Airshow from November 13 to 17, as the initial salvo in its plans to bring electric air taxis to the United Arab Emirates in 2026. The initiative is being funded by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, which is Archer’s first international launch partner.
An Archer statement said its presence in Dubai would give local executives and the royal family a chance to sit inside the Midnight. There will be no flight demonstrations at Dubai, unlike its German competitor, Volocopter, which has flown its two-passenger Volocity at the Paris Air Show and last month’s NBAA BACE event in Las Vegas.
The Midnight has been undergoing flight tests for a projected 2025 certification.
But the Archer announcements are significant because they will help establish the brand’s presence in the UAE and India. Competitor Joby has plans to set up networks in the U.S., while German eVTOL maker Lilium has also announced that it plans to establish a regional flight network in central Florida and also in Europe. Both are currently testing aircraft, and building production facilities. Joby’s facility will be outside of Dayton, Ohio, and Lillium’s facility near its headquarters in Wessling, Germany.
Archer has announced its intention to gain FAA approval for its Midnight air taxi by 2025, with entry into service shortly thereafter. It also recently announced a partnership with BETA, a New Hampshire–based firm building an eVTOL for cargo transport, to develop a fast-charging battery system together. The collaboration will allow both fleets to expand, with New Hampshire-based Beta gaining better access to the west coast, and Archer being able to use Beta’s network on the east coast.
“A widespread, fast charging system is critical to ensuring electric air taxis reach scale in the coming years and this collaboration between two industry leaders is an exciting step towards achieving that,” said Goldstein.