Archer Aviation has signed an agreement with PT. IKN covering plans to deploy an initial fleet of Midnight aircraft in Indonesia, making it the third country in which Archer is planning to deploy Midnight under its Launch Edition programme.

PT. IKN is an Indonesian company dedicated to advancing national resilience through innovation in strategic industries, including advanced manufacturing, infrastructure and sustainable technologies through partnerships with government and industry to strengthen local capabilities and support long-term national development.

As with Archer's other Launch Edition partners, the goal of this programme is to establish a pragmatic and repeatable commercialisation playbook to deploy Midnight in early adopter markets in advance of type certification in the U.S. In addition to Indonesia, Archer has already announced planned Launch Edition programme deployments in the UAE, with Abu Dhabi Aviation, and Ethiopia, with Ethiopian Airlines.

The programme aims to establish local operational capabilities and launch commercial air taxi services in the country as soon as possible. In addition to air taxi services, the parties intend to explore a range of complementary use cases such as logistics and environmental surveillance, including in support of the development of Indonesia's new capital city, Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN).

The scope of Archer's planned Launch Edition programme with PT. IKN includes the deployment of an initial fleet of Midnight Launch Edition aircraft to Indonesia with a supporting team of Archer pilots, technicians and engineers. Archer also plans to provide backend operational software and front-end booking applications to help power operations during the programme.

The partners intend to collaborate closely with the Indonesian DGCA to help build necessary regulatory frameworks and improve existing infrastructure to enable the Launch Edition programme and subsequent safe entry into service. The Launch Edition deployment comes with plans for an aircraft order by PT. IKN of up to 50 Midnight aircraft, valued at up to $250 million, with the goal of commercialising and scaling the Indonesian market after establishing early operations.

Yudiansah Yosal, PT. IKN's chairman says: “At PT. IKN we see enormous benefit in bringing new technologies to Indonesia. Our goal is to deploy Archer's Midnight aircraft not only for passenger mobility throughout our many islands but also for environmental oversight use cases. We're excited to bring this innovation to Indonesia and to work together with Archer to build a sustainable and scalable air mobility ecosystem.”

Major General TNI Piek Budyakto Pangdam IX / Udayana adds: “eVTOL aircraft like Archer's Midnight offer capabilities for both civilian and military use cases. In the civilian sector, these aircraft can potentially be used for transportation, rescue and various other purposes such as delivery of goods and air taxi transport. On the military side, they can potentially be used for medical evacuation, delivery of supplies and special operations in difficult to reach areas. The partnership between Archer and PT. IKN is in line with our vision to work towards a more adaptive and modern military infrastructure that embraces innovative technologies.”

Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein concludes: “The level of demand for our Launch Edition programme continues to grow. Indonesia represents a tremendous opportunity for our Midnight aircraft both in the near and long-term, with thousands of islands, a booming tourism sector and the development of a new capital city, Ibu Kota Nusantara. We look forward to working together to demonstrate how Midnight can support missions in the country.”