Helicopter operator Abu Dhabi Aviation will be the launch customer for Archer Aviation’s four-passenger Midnight eVTOL aircraft in the UAE, where the U.S.-based manufacturer aims to begin delivering aircraft this year under its new “Launch Edition” commercialization program. Archer announced the partnership with Abu Dhabi Aviation and the Launch Edition program on Thursday before releasing its fourth-quarter and year-end financial results for 2024.

The partners formalized their agreement by signing a memorandum of understanding during a ceremony at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office last week, but did not specify how many aircraft it covers. They said that "a passenger flight" could be conducted before the end of the year.

The announcement did not address how the Midnight aircraft will be certified for commercial operations in the UAE, or what standards will apply in that jurisdiction for pilot training and licensing. Like other U.S. eVTOL aircraft developers, Archer has to achieve FAA type certification and has indicated that it aims to complete this process by the end of 2025. On that basis, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority could validate the U.S. approval.

Through the Launch Edition program, Archer plans to begin deploying small fleets of Midnight aircraft to customers in “early adopter” markets such as the UAE over the next 18 to 24 months, Archer CEO Adam Goldstein said during a conference call with investors on Thursday. “These early adopters are more than just customers; they are true partners who we will work with to stand up the early air taxi operations hand in hand,” he commented.

In addition to the early aircraft deliveries, Launch Edition customers will receive support from Archer and local partners such as Etihad Aviation Training, which has agreed to train and recruit eVTOL pilots for Archer.

“We will provide an operational support team of pilots, technicians, engineers, and local leadership. These arrangements will be tailored based on the partner and their strategic goals, but we are aiming for each one to generate tens of millions in revenue and be margin positive,” Goldstein said. “Our goal is to create a repeatable playbook we can scale to dozens, if not hundreds of partners globally.”

Abu Dhabi Aviation operates a mix of 75 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters for various charter applications, including offshore energy industry support and the Royal Jet VIP service. The company also has extensive maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities, and trains pilots with five full-flight simulators. 

First Midnight Delivery in Summer 2025

According to Tom Muniz, Archer’s chief technology officer, the company is on track to deliver its first Midnight aircraft to Abu Dhabi this summer. “With that aircraft, we will focus our efforts on testing it in high temperature operations, as conditions there can exceed 110 degrees [Fahrenheit],” Muniz told investors during the conference call.

“Subsequent to that, we plan to start flights in and around cities in the UAE, performing proving runs to and from some of the locations on our intended network and performing market survey flights with limited passenger operations, working towards our ultimate commercial launch.”

While Archer isn’t specifying a timeline for FAA certification and service entry in the U.S., the company is aiming to conduct the first passenger-carrying Midnight flights in Abu Dhabi before the end of the year. Muniz said Archer recently finalized its project-specific certification plans with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). “This document outlines the steps needed to bring Midnight to market in the country, which we are well down the path of executing against,” he said, adding that Archer has already begun submitting compliance data to the GCAA for review.

Archer has previously announced partnerships in the UAE with companies including Falcon Aviation and Air Chateau. It is also working with a subsidiary of Indian airline IndiGo to establish eVTOL air taxi services for Indian cities.

Meanwhile, rival U.S. eVTOL developer Joby Aviation is also preparing to deploy its four-passenger electric air taxi in the UAE. “By the middle of this year, we plan to have an aircraft in Dubai, where it will be used to demonstrate our readiness to begin carrying our first passengers, which we target for later this year or early next year,” Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt said during Joby’s quarterly investor call on Wednesday.