Arher and Falcon Aviation to Jointly Develop Dubai-Abu Dhabi Vertiport Network & Launch eVTOL Flying Car Operations
(Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE) Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle developer Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR) and Abu Dhabi-based air charter company Falcon Aviation today announced plans to jointly develop a vertiport network in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, enabling flights between the two cities with Archer’s Midnight eVTOL flying car as early as 2025.
Image of Dubai's Atlantis, the Palm, a nearby vertiport and Archer's midnight eVTOL flying car courtesy of Archer.
According to a press release from Archer today, Archer and Falcon Aviation intend to use Falcon’s upgraded Falcon Tours Heliport - launched post-renovation on March 8, 2024 - at the Atlantis, The Palm as an initial launch pad for Archer's flying cars. The hub will function as one from which the Midnight aircraft will operate as a “quieter, safer, and more affordable option than helicopters,” per today’s release.
Initial Midnight routes operated by Falcon Aviation will include trips between The Palm and both Abu Dhabi and other cities in the UAE, in addition to sightseeing trips above Dubai, according to today’s release. Flights between Abu Dhabi and Dubai will take about 30 minutes; driving between the two cities during peak traffic can take more than two hours.
“Partnering with established operators such as Falcon Aviation, as well as the capital of the Emirates with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, has been key to quickly building our presence in the region,” said Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein. “We look forward to paving the way for the introduction of our Midnight aircraft to the region which will set the stage for the UAE to become a global leader in urban air mobility.”
Falcon Aviation CEO Captain Ramandeep Oberoi commented, “For nearly two decades, Falcon Aviation has been at the forefront of helicopter passenger transport in the UAE. Our partnership with Archer is a leap into the future, as we prepare to offer flying car services together in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, continuing our tradition of world-class transportation solutions.”
Today’s announcement reinforces the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Archer and Falcon in 2023, in which Falcon Aviation agreed to operate scores of Archer’s Midnight eVTOL vehicles. The UAE is set to become Archer’s first international launch market as soon as 2025, per today’s press release.
“We have made rapid progress in the UAE over the past three months since announcing Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be home to our first international Midnight flights as soon as 2025,” said Archer Chief Commercial Officer Nikhil Goel. “We’re proud to be the first to announce plans to operate between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, along with vertiport infrastructure at both ends of the commuter journey.”
Last year, Archer announced a deal with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office which introduced intended economic incentives to help Archer’s growth in Abu Dhabi, as part of Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) Cluster.
In related news, early in February of 2024, eVTOL developer Joby Aviation Inc. (NYSE: JOBY) and vertiport infrastructure developer Skyports Infrastructure, in partnership with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA), announced that Joby and Skyports had been granted exclusive rights to build and operate vertiports in Dubai, and the exclusive right to operate air taxis in Dubai for six years.