Archer Aviation Inc. has released the first airport to city center route as part of its relationship with United Airlines.
The route will lie between United’s hub at Newark Liberty International Airport and a downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York City. The flight could take as little as 10 minutes from start to finish, Archer said.
United paid $10 million in pre-delivery payment to Archer in August — in one of the largest air taxi deals to date. The deposit on the electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft comes after ordering the 100 air taxis in 2021.
The downtown Manhattan heliport is located near Battery Park on Pier 6 and has been confirmed as the first planned takeoff and landing site as part of Archer’s broader plan to launch an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) network in the New York Metropolitan Area.
Archer said this will be one of many hubs that will be in New York City and will use Archer’s all-electric Midnight aircraft, a low noise, carbon efficient aircraft. A similar journey by car can take upwards of an hour or more in rush hour traffic.
Archer is not the only company that has seen strong investment from major airline companies. United also invested in Eve Mobility with a conditional purchase agreement for 200 four-seat air taxis.
Delta has also got involved signing a multi-year deal with Joby Aviation to commercialize and operate air taxis for home-to-airport transportation services.
