Archer Aviation subsidiary, Archer Air, has received its Part 135 air carrier and operator certificate from the FAA. This certificate allows Archer to begin operating aircraft commercially to refine its systems and procedures in advance of launching Midnight into service for airlines like United Airlines when it receives Midnight's type certification.

Archer has already received its Part 145 certificate from the FAA, allowing it to perform specialised aircraft repair services, which means that Archer has now received the two key operational certificates required from the FAA for it to be in a position to begin its air taxi operations when Midnight receives its type certification. The FAA also recently issued the final airworthiness criteria for the Midnight aircraft.

The completion of the Part 135 certification process involved five rigorous stages, which entailed the submission of extensive documentation of operational manuals and procedures, as well as Archer's pilots needing to demonstrate proficiency with those manuals and procedures under FAA observation.

"We are honoured to receive the Part 135 air carrier and operator certificate from the FAA, which is another important stepping stone on the way to commencing commercial air taxi operations with our Midnight aircraft," says founder and CEO Adam Goldstein. "This milestone reflects our team's unwavering dedication to safety and operational excellence as we stand up one of the world's first electric air taxi services for communities across the US with a safe, sustainable and low noise transportation solution."

"The pace of progress and innovation that Archer has achieved over the last few years is nothing short of impressive and this marks another key milestone in its journey to bring safe, sustainable and low noise air taxi services to market," adds Mike Leskinen, United's chief financial officer. "United Airlines extends our congratulations to Archer's team on receiving their Part 135 air carrier and operator certificate. Together, we look forward to shaping the future of air transportation and delivering unparalleled flying experiences to United passengers."

"We would like to thank the FAA for its ongoing collaboration with Archer and congratulate the Archer Air team on achieving this important milestone for the company," adds Tom Anderson, Archer Air's chief operating officer. "Over my career, I've helped lead the build out of JetBlue and Breeze Airways and now that Archer has its Part 135 and 145 certificates from the FAA, I'm thrilled for our incredible team to commence operations on this innovative new air taxi service soon."

Receiving the Part 135 certificate signals that Archer Air has developed and demonstrated to the FAA its adherence to the necessary policies and procedures to begin operating aircraft commercially in accordance with the stringent safety and operational standards set forth by the FAA. Archer is now one of two air taxi manufacturers in the world to have announced receipt of a Part 135 certificate from the FAA, the other being Joby in May 2022.