Archer and United Airlines have today announced the first commercial electric air taxi route, which is between Downtown Manhattan and Newark Liberty International Airport, a flight that will last less than 10 minutes.
On Thursday (November 10, 2022), Archer and United Airlines announced the first commercial electric air taxi route, which will be between the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, located just above Battery Park on Pier 6, and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The less than 10 minute flight will be serviced by Archer’s all-electric Midnight™ vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The initial routes will be launched after the existing aviation infrastructure is electrified in and around the New York Metro Area. The NYC-EWR route is the first specific route announced in the eVTOL industry, and United’s EWR hub is ideally located to serve Manhattan, the surrounding boroughs and communities in New Jersey.
In today’s announcement, Archer’s Founder and CEO, Adam Goldstein, said,
“We’re excited to be confirming New York as the first of many routes we’ll be announcing alongside United as we work to build out our national UAM network. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with United and to working closely with state and local government leaders in the New York and New Jersey area as we bring this exciting new form of transportation to life.”
Also commenting on the industry’s first eVTOL route announcement, United Airlines Ventures’ President, Michael Leskinen, added,
“Once operational, electric air taxis will fundamentally change how United customers experience comfort, convenience, and efficiency during their commutes to the airport. Archer’s New York to Newark route marks another important benchmark towards providing a carbon-neutral and safe commute that drastically reduces the travel time and produces a fraction of the sound emitted by helicopters.”
Archer and United Airlines Announce Industry-First eVTOL Route - Courtesy Archer
Santa Clara, California-based Archer is designing and developing eVTOL aircraft to be deployed in urban air mobility (UAM) networks. The company’s mission is to unlock the skies, freeing everyone to reimagine how they move and spend time. Archer’s early launch ‘trunk’ routes will connect airports with city centers, and once established, service will be branched out to connect surrounding communities. The first phase of their UAM network is targeted to launch in 2025.
United Airlines’ shared purpose is “Connecting People. Uniting the World.” In 2019, United and United Express® carriers operated over 1.7 million flights carrying over 162 million guests. United Airlines operates the most comprehensive network among North American carriers with mainland U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Shares in the company’s parent, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., are publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol ‘UAL.’
Source(s): Archer, United Airlines