Archer Aviation this week expanded its network of so-called Launch Edition customers for its four-passenger Midnight eVTOL air taxi through an agreement with Indonesian conglomerate Industri Ketahanan Nasional (IKN). The $250 million deal, announced on Monday at the Paris Air Show, includes a provisional sales agreement covering up to 50 Midnight aircraft.
As with Archer’s other two Launch Edition partners—Abu Dhabi Aviation in the UAE and Ethiopian Airlines—IKN will work with its local regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Indonesia, to prepare the regulatory framework for commercial operations. In addition to developing an air-taxi network for the heavily congested city of Jakarta, the partners will develop other eVTOL use cases such as logistics and environmental surveillance to support the development of the country’s new capital city, Ibu Kota Nusantara.
Archer CEO Adam Goldstein told AIN that the company will deliver an aircraft to the UAE that will be used for test flights in Abu Dhabi. The UAE government is permitting limited operations—first autonomous and later piloted—to advance its bid for the world’s first commercial air-taxi services. Rival manufacturer Joby Aviation also intends to launch services in the UAE and has an exclusive agreement to operate in Dubai.
Last week, Archer announced that it raised a further $850 million to support efforts to complete FAA type certification of Midnight. According to the company, efforts to launch advanced air mobility services in the U.S. have been boosted by a recent executive order from President Donald Trump that calls for an eVTOL integration pilot program. Archer has committed to be the official air-taxi provider for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.