Archer Aviation's flight test programme has hit another key milestone as the company's Midnight aircraft took flight. This follows four years of flight testing, including two years of full-scale flight testing with the Maker.

“This next phase of Archer's flight test programme is only possible because of the four years of flight testing we've done. Midnight is building on the successes of its predecessor aircraft and represents another significant step forward in Archer's path to commercialisation,” says founder and CEO Adam Goldstein. “The next year and a half will be focused on continuing to rapidly advance our flight test programme and Archer's electric air taxi operations as we prepare to bring Midnight to market in 2025.”

“Having taken seven full-size eVTOL aircraft from design to flight test during my career in the eVTOL industry, today's milestone with Midnight marks the most significant flight to date, bringing Archer and the eVTOL industry another step closer to bringing a scalable and commercially viable aircraft to market,” adds COO Tom Muniz.

As Archer's flight test programme continues to advance, the Midnight's flight envelope is expected to progress rapidly from hover to full wing-borne transition flight in the coming months, paving the way for the company to begin 'for credit' testing of its Midnight aircraft with the FAA next year.

Simultaneously, Archer intends to continue the Maker's flight test programme as well as flying simulated commercial routes to continue to advance the company's operational readiness.

Archer's goal is to transform urban travel, replacing 60-90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10-20 minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, low noise and cost-competitive with ground transportation. Archer's Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights.