Plans to launch eVTOL air taxi services in India came to light last Thursday when InterGlobe Enterprises, parent company to the country's largest airline IndiGo, signed an agreement that could lead to a purchase of up to 200 of Archer Aviation's Midnight aircraft. The electric vehicle is on display at the Dubai Airshow, as Archer looks to cement its ambitions to get established in the UAE on the basis of a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office the U.S. startup also announced last week.
The memorandum of understanding signed with InterGlobe could see eVTOL commercial flights starting in cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Archer aims to achieve FAA type certification in late 2025 and has plans to start operations in the U.S., working with partners including United Airlines. It says an air taxi network could materialize in both India and the UAE starting in 2026.
The Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger eVTOL aircraft that the company says will be capable of flying up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) on a single charge. Archer expects operators to use the vehicle primarily for back-to-back flights of between 10 to 20 minutes.
InterGlobe will work together with Archer and some as-yet-unnamed “select in-country business partners” to finance and build vertiport infrastructure, train pilots and other personnel, and operate an air taxi service in India, with initial routes launching in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. An Archer spokesperson told AIN that the company expects to be “heavily involved in operations, infrastructure, pilot training, and receiving all necessary regulatory approvals in India.”
Along with commercial passenger flights, the partners intend to pursue a variety of other applications for the Midnight aircraft in India, including medevac operations and cargo logistics. According to Archer, the air taxi services in New Delhi could allow passengers to make the 17-mile trip from Connaught Place to Gurugram in about seven minutes, whereas that same trip by car typically takes 60 to 90 minutes. The company has said that pricing for air taxi rides will compare favorably to premium ground ridesharing services such as Uber Black.
“Over the last two decades, InterGlobe has been involved in providing safe, efficient, and affordable transportation to hundreds of millions of Indians across the country. We are excited at this new opportunity of bringing an effective, futuristic, and sustainable transport solution by introducing Archer’s electric aircraft to India,” said Rahul Bhatia, group managing director of InterGlobe.
Several other eVTOL aircraft developers, including Lilium, Volocopter, and Joby, seek to establish advanced air mobility services in the Middle East, with plans to establish supporting infrastructure in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.