Archer Aviation
Archer Aviation is a United States aerospace company developing electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft for urban air mobility and defense applications.
Last updated October 14, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Archer Aviation is a San Jose-based aerospace and defense technology company focused on electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, commonly abbreviated as eVTOL. Its central commercial ambition is to support urban air-taxi networks in which electrically powered aircraft transport passengers between airports, heliports, vertiports, and other locations within or near major cities. Archer is also developing defense-oriented aircraft and has pursued partnerships covering manufacturing, infrastructure, pilot training, airline operations, and regional deployment. The company was founded on October 16, 2018, by Adam Goldstein and Brett Adcock. Both founders had connections to the University of Florida, and Archer initially worked with the university's Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. The company later established a research laboratory on the university's Gainesville campus. Marc Lore, a Walmart executive and entrepreneur, also supported Archer during its early development. Archer began as a privately funded venture and subsequently became a publicly traded company through a transaction that resulted in its listing under the ticker ACHR in September 2021. Archer's first major aircraft program was Maker, a full-scale electric demonstrator unveiled in 2021. Maker used a distributed-propulsion layout with twelve propellers: six forward tilt-propellers for vertical and horizontal flight and six rear propellers dedicated primarily to vertical lift. The aircraft was designed to test Archer's flight-control architecture, propulsion systems, battery integration, and transition from hovering to forward flight. It received authorization for flight testing from the Federal Aviation Administration in December 2021, and Archer subsequently demonstrated remote flight and transition operations. The company's principal production aircraft is Midnight, a piloted, four-passenger eVTOL designed for short urban journeys and rapid turnaround between flights. The aircraft retains the twelve-propeller configuration used by Maker and is designed for a claimed top speed of approximately 150 miles per hour and a maximum range of roughly 100 miles, although practical commercial performance will depend on certification, payload, weather, charging, and operating conditions. Archer has described Midnight as a vehicle intended for repeated short flights with limited charging time between missions. The aircraft's development has included remote transition testing, extensive uncrewed flight testing, and international evaluation in the United Arab Emirates. Commercial passenger service remains dependent on successful certification and operational approvals. United Airlines became Archer's first major corporate airline partner. The two companies have announced plans for potential air-taxi routes linking airports with urban destinations, including Newark Liberty International Airport and the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, as well as Chicago O'Hare International Airport and a proposed vertiport on Chicago's Near West Side. United also made a deposit connected with a planned order for Archer aircraft. Archer has separately worked with Southwest Airlines on operational concepts for future air-taxi networks and with Urban Movement Labs and the City of Miami on infrastructure and service planning. Manufacturing is a major part of Archer's strategy. In 2023, Stellantis agreed to provide up to $150 million in equity capital and to support the development and production of Archer aircraft. The arrangement positioned Stellantis as Archer's exclusive contract manufacturing partner for high-volume production. Archer completed construction of the 400,000-square-foot ARC manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia, in 2024. The company has also pursued regulatory capabilities beyond aircraft development: it received an FAA Part 135 air-carrier and operator certificate in 2024 and a Part 141 certification in 2025, the latter supporting plans for a pilot-training academy. Archer has increasingly emphasized international expansion. In 2025, it agreed with Jetex to explore eVTOL facilities beginning at Jetex's private terminal in Abu Dhabi. A Midnight aircraft subsequently conducted an uncrewed test flight outside the United States at Al Bateen Executive Airport, where the company evaluated performance in conditions including heat, humidity, and dust. Archer has also explored defense applications through work with Anduril Industries on the Thunder aircraft and a related commercial concept called Halo. These programs broaden Archer's intended scope from passenger mobility into logistics, maritime operations, emergency cargo, and defense. Archer's business remains at a pre-commercial stage for passenger air-taxi operations. Its long-term positioning combines aircraft development, certification, manufacturing, charging and vertiport infrastructure, pilot training, and partnerships with airlines and mobility operators. The principal risks include technical development, battery performance, noise and safety requirements, regulatory approval, manufacturing scale-up, infrastructure availability, and the ability to establish economically viable urban routes.
History
Archer Aviation was founded in 2018 by Adam Goldstein and Brett Adcock to develop electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft. Early work included collaboration with the University of Florida's Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, where both founders had studied. The company later established a research laboratory at the university's Gainesville campus. Archer was initially privately funded, with Marc Lore among the early supporters associated with its launch. The company entered public markets in September 2021 under the ticker ACHR. That year it unveiled Maker, a full-scale electric demonstrator intended to prove the technical foundations of its eVTOL architecture. Maker used twelve propellers, including six forward tilt-propellers and six rear lift propellers, supported by independent battery packs. After moving to a flight-test facility, the aircraft received an FAA airworthiness certificate for flight-test operations in December 2021. Archer subsequently conducted remote flight demonstrations. In 2022, Archer announced the production-oriented Midnight aircraft. Midnight was presented as a piloted, four-passenger aircraft for short urban journeys, with a design intended to permit frequent flights and relatively short turnaround times. The company also announced an important relationship with United Airlines. United made a deposit associated with a planned order and joined Archer in planning a potential Newark-to-Manhattan air-taxi route. Later that year, Archer reported that Maker had completed a remotely controlled transition between vertical and horizontal flight, a key test of its flight-control and aircraft architecture. Brett Adcock left Archer's leadership team and board in 2022. Adam Goldstein subsequently became the company's sole chief executive and chairman. Archer continued to develop commercial relationships and in 2023 announced a proposed Chicago route with United, linking O'Hare International Airport with a planned vertiport on the city's Near West Side. Manufacturing became a central strategic priority in 2023 when Stellantis agreed to provide up to $150 million in equity capital and assist with the development and production of Archer aircraft. The arrangement made Stellantis Archer's exclusive contract manufacturing partner for mass production. Archer later completed its ARC manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia, a major step toward production scale-up. Archer also expanded its regulatory and operational capabilities. The FAA granted the company a Part 135 air-carrier and operator certificate in June 2024. In February 2025, Archer received Part 141 certification, supporting plans for a pilot-training academy. During 2024, Midnight completed a remote transition flight without a human aboard, and Archer reported conducting more than 400 test flights during the year. The company's market strategy has included partnerships with airlines, municipalities, mobility organizations, and infrastructure operators. Archer worked with Urban Movement Labs and the City of Miami on possible urban-air-mobility infrastructure and routes. It also reached an agreement with Southwest Airlines to develop operational concepts for future air-taxi networks. These initiatives reflect Archer's effort to address not only aircraft production but also the operating environment needed for commercial eVTOL services. Archer began expanding its international focus in the United Arab Emirates. At the 2025 Paris Air Show, it agreed with Jetex to collaborate on eVTOL facilities beginning at the Jetex Abu Dhabi private terminal. A Midnight aircraft then completed an international test flight at Al Bateen Executive Airport. The test was intended to examine performance under local environmental conditions and support future regional certification and service planning. Alongside passenger aircraft, Archer has pursued defense and specialized logistics applications. Its Thunder program was co-developed with Anduril Industries, while Halo was described as a commercial variant using a related airframe and systems without weaponry. Halo is intended for potential uses such as offshore energy logistics, heavy freight, maritime missions, and emergency medical cargo. These programs use hybrid-electric propulsion and modular systems intended to support different mission profiles. Archer's passenger air-taxi service is not yet an operational mass-market service. Its launch depends on Midnight completing the relevant FAA certification and on the creation of suitable vertiports, charging systems, maintenance capabilities, pilot-training capacity, and regulatory frameworks. Consequently, Archer remains a development-stage aerospace company whose commercial outcome depends on technical validation, certification, manufacturing execution, infrastructure deployment, and customer adoption.
- 2025
FAA Part 141 certification
[1]The certification supported Archer's plans for an internal pilot-training academy.
- 2025
Jetex partnership
[1]Archer and Jetex agreed to explore eVTOL facilities and operating access in the United Arab Emirates.
- 2024
FAA Part 135 certificate
[1]Archer received an FAA air-carrier and operator certificate under Part 135.
- 2024
Midnight remote transition flight
[1]A Midnight aircraft completed a remote transition flight without a person aboard.
- 2024
ARC facility completed
[1]Archer completed construction of its eVTOL manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia.
- 2023
Stellantis manufacturing partnership
[1]Stellantis agreed to provide potential equity funding and support contract manufacturing.
- 2022
Midnight unveiled
[1]Archer presented Midnight as its planned piloted four-passenger production aircraft.
- 2022
Founder leadership transition
[1]Brett Adcock departed Archer's leadership team and board, leaving Adam Goldstein as chief executive and chairman.
- 2022
Maker completes remote transition
[1]Archer reported a remotely controlled transition from vertical to horizontal flight.
- 2021
Public listing
[1]Archer became publicly traded under the ticker ACHR.
Products and positioning
A vertically integrated eVTOL developer seeking to combine aircraft engineering, regulatory certification, contract manufacturing, airline partnerships, pilot training, and vertiport infrastructure into an urban air-mobility platform, with additional applications in defense and specialized logistics.
eVTOL demonstrator · 2021
Maker
Maker is Archer's full-scale electric flight demonstrator, unveiled in 2021. It uses twelve propellers arranged as six forward tilt-propellers and six rear propellers designed primarily for vertical lift. The aircraft was developed to test distributed electric propulsion, battery architecture, flight controls, and the transition between hovering and forward flight. Maker received FAA authorization for flight-test operations in December 2021 and was later used in remote flight and transition demonstrations.
passenger eVTOL aircraft · 2022
Midnight
Midnight is Archer's planned production aircraft for urban air-taxi operations. It is designed as a piloted four-passenger eVTOL with twelve propellers: six front tilt-propellers for vertical and forward flight and six rear propellers for vertical lift. Archer has described a target speed of about 150 miles per hour and a range of approximately 100 miles. The aircraft has undergone remote transition testing and international environmental evaluation, but commercial passenger service depends on completion of certification and operational approvals.
defense eVTOL aircraft
Thunder
Thunder is a defense-oriented aircraft program developed with Anduril Industries. Archer contributes the aircraft, battery architecture, electric powertrain, and rotor-dynamics work, while Anduril contributes defense systems, artificial-intelligence flight software, and command-and-control capabilities associated with its Lattice platform. The program extends Archer's eVTOL expertise beyond passenger mobility into defense missions.
commercial hybrid-electric aircraft concept
Halo
Halo is described as a commercial, non-weaponized variant related to the Thunder airframe. Its proposed modular design is intended to support offshore energy supply, heavy freight, maritime operations, and emergency medical cargo. The concept uses hybrid-electric propulsion, with a generator supplying electric motors that drive dual tiltrotors. Archer has described the aircraft as transportable in a standard shipping container, although it remains a planned program rather than an operational product.
urban air-mobility service
Archer urban air-taxi service
Archer's urban air-taxi offering is a planned aerial ridesharing service built around the Midnight aircraft. The concept involves short passenger trips between airports, vertiports, heliports, and urban destinations. Archer has worked with United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Urban Movement Labs, the City of Miami, and Jetex on possible routes, operating models, and infrastructure. The service is not yet operational and remains dependent on aircraft certification, infrastructure construction, and regulatory approvals.
Controversies
2021
Wisk Aero sues Archer Aviation over alleged intellectual property theft
Wisk Aero filed a lawsuit against Archer Aviation alleging trade secret misappropriation and patent infringement. The lawsuit seeks to stop the alleged use of Wisk’s intellectual property and confidential information.
Marketing campaigns
- 2025Jetex Abu Dhabi eVTOL facilities
United Arab Emirates
Archer and Jetex agreed to collaborate on facilities and private-terminal access intended to support future Midnight air-taxi services in the UAE.
Outcome. The partnership established a framework for regional deployment planning, beginning at Jetex's Abu Dhabi terminal.
- 2024Southwest air-taxi network planning
United States
Archer and Southwest Airlines agreed to develop operational concepts for future electric air-taxi networks.
Outcome. The agreement advanced planning and network-design work but did not create an operating passenger service.
- 2023Chicago airport-to-vertiport planning
United States
Archer and United Airlines announced plans for a potential electric air-taxi connection between Chicago O'Hare International Airport and a proposed vertiport on Chicago's Near West Side.
Outcome. The initiative remained part of Archer's future urban-air-mobility planning.
- 2022Newark–Manhattan electric air-taxi route
United States
Archer and United Airlines announced plans for a proposed route connecting Newark Liberty International Airport with the Downtown Manhattan Heliport.
Outcome. The route remained a planned future service rather than an operating passenger route.
Brand decisions
2025
Pursue pilot-training capabilityStrategyBackground
A future urban air-taxi network would require a trained pilot workforce and dedicated training infrastructure.
Action taken
Archer received FAA Part 141 certification, enabling plans for a pilot-training academy.
Aftermath
The certification broadened Archer's intended role from aircraft developer toward an integrated aircraft, operations, and workforce-development platform.
2024
Expand into regulated air-carrier operationsOtherBackground
Archer's planned urban air-taxi model requires operating permissions in addition to aircraft certification.
Action taken
The company obtained an FAA Part 135 air-carrier and operator certificate.
Aftermath
The certificate expanded Archer's ability to develop and prepare for commercial aviation operations, although it did not by itself authorize a fully operational Midnight passenger network.
2023
Select Stellantis as contract manufacturing partnerStrategyBackground
Archer needed a path from prototype development to industrial-scale production of its planned eVTOL aircraft.
Action taken
Archer entered a strategic arrangement under which Stellantis would provide potential equity capital and serve as its exclusive contract manufacturing partner for mass production.
Aftermath
The partnership made automotive manufacturing expertise and production capacity central to Archer's commercialization plan and was followed by construction of the ARC facility in Georgia.
Recent events
- 2025
Archer receives FAA Part 141 certification[1]
Regulation
The certification enabled Archer to pursue establishment of a pilot-training academy.
- 2025
Archer and Jetex plan eVTOL facilities in the United Arab Emirates[1]
Other
The companies agreed to explore facilities and operating access for future Midnight services, beginning at Jetex's Abu Dhabi private terminal.
- 2025
Midnight conducts an international test flight in Abu Dhabi[1]
Product generation · Other
Archer evaluated a Midnight aircraft at Al Bateen Executive Airport under local environmental conditions, including heat, humidity, and dust.
- 2024
Archer receives an FAA Part 135 certificate[1]
Regulation
The FAA granted Archer a Part 135 air-carrier and operator certificate, expanding the company's regulatory operating capabilities.
- 2024
Midnight completes a remote transition flight[1]
Product generation
Archer reported the first remotely conducted transition flight of a Midnight aircraft without a person aboard.
- 2024
Archer and Southwest collaborate on air-taxi operating concepts[1]
Other
Archer and Southwest Airlines agreed to study operating concepts for future electric air-taxi networks.
- 2024
Archer completes the ARC manufacturing facility[1]
Other
The company completed construction of a large eVTOL production facility in Covington, Georgia.
- 2023
Stellantis commits manufacturing and capital support[1]
M&A
Stellantis agreed to provide potential equity funding and support contract manufacturing for Archer's aircraft programs.
- 2023
Archer and United outline a proposed Chicago air-taxi route[1]
Campaign
The companies proposed a future connection between Chicago O'Hare International Airport and a planned vertiport on Chicago's Near West Side.
- 2022
United Airlines makes a deposit connected with Archer aircraft[1]
M&A
United Airlines paid Archer a deposit associated with a planned purchase of electric air taxis.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources11 sources
- 1Archer Aviationen.wikipedia.org
- 2Archer Aviation official websitearcher.com
- 3Wisk Aero sues Archer Aviation over alleged intellectual property theftprnewswire.com
- 4Archer Acquires Boeing Units, Partners on AI Futuremiragenews.com
- 5Archer Acquires Boeing's Autonomy Subsidiarieshalldale.com
- 6Archer Aviation acquires Boeing’s Insitucolumbian.com
- 7Boeing Autonomous Air Taxi Unit Wisk Aero Acquired by Archerflyingmag.com
- 8Flying taxi maker Archer buys 3 of Boeing's eVTOL subsidiariesgulfnews.com
- 9San Jose-Based Air Taxi Company Acquires Drone Surveillance Manufacturersfist.com
- 10Wisk Aero Sues Archer Aviationaero-news.net
- 11Wisk Aero起诉Archer Aviation窃取其eVTOL设计 并侵犯商业秘密finance.sina.com.cn
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/archer-aviation · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled