Southwest Airlines and Archer Aviation have agreed to co-develop a concept of operations for eVTOL air taxi networks in California. In a memorandum of understanding announced July 12, the two companies pledged to collaborate on prospective plans to use Archer’s Midnight aircraft on routes connecting California’s biggest airports to their surrounding communities.
Their MoU arrives on the heels of Archer’s announcement that it is working with a real estate developer to develop plans for a possible vertiport site at Oyster Point in South San Francisco. The San Jose, California-based aircraft developer is also a partner of United Airlines, which has already placed a down payment of $10 million for the first 100 of up to 200 Midnight aircraft it has provisionally agreed to purchase. United and Archer have previously announced routes in Chicago and New York City.
“Southwest is eager to explore the convenience Archer’s air taxis could provide customers flying Southwest at airports in busy urban areas,” said Paul Cullen, vice president of real estate at Southwest Airlines. “We’ve proudly served as California’s largest carrier for nearly 25 years, and integrating Archer’s electric aircraft into the travel journey potentially gives us an innovative opportunity to enhance the experience of flying Southwest.”
Headquartered in Dallas, Southwest operates from 14 of the busiest airports in California, including several destinations in greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as in San Diego, Palm Springs, Sacramento, Santa Barbara, and Fresno.
“By putting together Southwest’s impressive network of airports in California and their frequent intrastate flights with our planned network, Southwest customers could someday complete door-to-door trips like Santa Monica to Napa in less than three hours,” said Archer chief commercial officer Nikhil Goel.
Archer says it will work with Southwest employees and their respective unions, including the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), “to maintain and improve efficient operations.”
Expected to enter service in 2025, the four-passenger Midnight eVTOL aircraft is designed to conduct rapid, back-to-back flights of 20 to 50 miles with about 10 minutes of charging time in between trips. The company has said it will have a maximum range of about 60 miles (100 kilometers) on a single charge, and it will fly at a cruise speed of about 150 mph (240 km/h).
Last month, Archer obtained a Part 135 air carrier and operator certificate from the FAA through its Archer Air subsidiary, which allows the manufacturer to begin operating its own commercial air taxi services. So, although United is purchasing a fleet of Midnight aircraft, Archer will operate the flights on behalf of United. Southwest has yet to announce any plans to purchase eVTOL air taxis, but its partnership with Archer indicates that the airline is ready to dip its toes into the urban air mobility market.