Archer Aviation & Etihad Training to Launch EAV Pilot Program in UAE

US-based Archer Aviation has partnered with Etihad Training to recruit and train pilots for its Midnight electric aerial vehicles (EAV) in Abu Dhabi and across the UAE. Announced at the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh, this collaboration marks Archer's debut of the Midnight EAV in Saudi Arabia, following its recent showcase at Abu Dhabi's DriftX mobility expo.

Archer is developing urban aircraft mobility (UAM) operations in the UAE, with support from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Falcon Aviation, and Air Chateau. Etihad Training, known for training pilots for global airlines, will work with Archer to recruit and train pilots, using a Midnight flight simulator at their Abu Dhabi center.

Earlier this year, Archer and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office agreed to accelerate commercial air taxi operations in the UAE, set to start next year. This includes funding in the hundreds of millions of dollars and building vertiports and charging infrastructure. The agreement, announced at the DriftX event, includes local manufacturing of Midnight and establishing Archer's international headquarters and Center of Excellence in Abu Dhabi.

Stellantis recently purchased 8.3 million shares of Archer and plans to exclusively produce the Midnight. Archer has raised USD 215 million from investors including Stellantis, Boeing, United Airlines, and ARK Investment Management, bringing total funding to USD 1.1 billion. Archer aims to replace 60- to 90-minute car trips with 10- to 20-minute flights, with the Midnight carrying four passengers and a pilot for trips of 20 to 50 miles, requiring 10 minutes of battery charging between flights.

Construction of the first three Midnight vehicles is underway for federal approval, with a high-volume manufacturing facility being built in Georgia, capable of producing up to 650 vehicles annually. Archer has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA for battery testing and a deal with Air Chateau International for operating EAVs in the UAE. The company plans to establish an engineering center of excellence to support advanced air mobility in the UAE and the Middle East.

Archer joins other EAV companies in expanding globally, with Lilium recently announcing a deal with ArcosJet DMCC to purchase 10 electric jets and become the exclusive regional dealer.