Archer Aviation has announced the completion of a piloted roundtrip journey with its all-electric Midnight aircraft on July 30, departing from Salinas Municipal Airport and landing at Monterey Regional Airport before returning to Salinas.
Archer worked closely with the FAA to conduct the piloted roundtrip intercity flight, marking a step toward launching Midnight operations under the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) later this year.
Midnight completed each leg of the journey in approximately nine minutes, compared with a journey of around 35 minutes or more by car. The flight demonstrated the type of short, time-saving routes for which the aircraft was designed.
Adam Goldstein, Founder and CEO of Archer, said the roundtrip journey represents the type of route the company plans to operate with Midnight under the eIPP and in Los Angeles during the Olympic Games. He added that the mission provides a template that Archer plans to replicate with partners across Texas, Florida and New York as preparations continue for eIPP operations.
As part of its broader eIPP efforts, Archer is working with the FAA as well as federal, state and local partners to establish procedures, infrastructure and local operational capabilities needed to support future commercial air taxi operations.
The work also supports preparations in Los Angeles, where Archer is scheduled to serve as the Official Air Taxi Provider for the LA28 Olympic Games.
Archer’s Midnight air taxi is designed to enable passengers to replace 60- to 90-minute ground journeys with quiet, all-electric flights, reducing travel times compared with traditional ground transportation and helping passengers avoid increasing road congestion.
