Archer Aviation has selected a location for the manufacturing facility where it will mass produce its four-seat Midnight eVTOL air taxi. The California-based company plans to build its new manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia, on a 96-acre site adjacent to Covington Municipal Airport (CVC).
Initially, Archer will build a 350,000-square-foot facility capable of producing up to 650 Midnight aircraft per year, and construction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2024. Eventually, Archer hopes to add another 550,000 square feet to the facility, after which the company says it will be capable of producing about 2,300 Midnight aircraft per year. Archer says the factory will create about 1,000 jobs in Georgia over the long term.
Archer, which has partnered with United Airlines, plans to initially use these air taxis to transport passengers between city centers and airports with United hubs. Just last week the company announced what will be its first air taxi route between Newark Liberty International Airport and Downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York City.
“After many months of discussion and evaluation, we’re excited to select Georgia as the location for our manufacturing facility,” said Archer CEO Adam Goldstein. “The U.S. has long led the world in aerospace technology, and Georgia has played a vital role in that industry.
“Our eVTOL technology can transform how urban and rural communities live and commute, and this factory can create pathways to highly skilled manufacturing jobs and other ladders of social and economic opportunity,” Goldstein added.
After conducting an extensive test flight campaign with its Maker technology demonstrator, Archer will reveal its first Midnight eVTOL later this week during a special event at the company's Palo Alto facility. The aircraft is expected to achieve type certification in 2024, and Archer has said it will begin transporting passengers in 2025.
