A Midnight air taxi takes a golden-hour flight to San Francisco. [Photo: Archer Aviation]
In the next few months, North Texans may see air taxis — with paying passengers aboard — in the sky.
San Jose, California-based Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) just unveiled plans for three air taxi networks in the Texas Triangle. They will connect airports and business districts within Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and Houston.
An Archer spokesperson said commercial passenger service in the three metros will take off once the company’s all-electric Midnight air taxi receives full “Type certification” from the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA. That’s expected to happen in early 2027.
By issuing a Type certificate, the FAA endorses the aircraft design and all its parts. The certificate will give Archer the go-ahead to launch passenger service using the Midnight air taxi.
The spokesperson said the fare for an air taxi flight will be comparable to the fare for a premium rideshare service like Uber Black. A check of the Uber website showed an Uber Black trip last Friday night from Dallas Love Field to Frisco Station would have cost about $140 in a luxury car and $175 in a luxury SUV.
“As we scale the fleet and grow the network, we expect costs to come down significantly,” the spokesperson said.
‘Setting the bar’ for aviation
Archer is one of several aviation companies participating in the FAA’s pilot program for electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft used as air taxis. Other program participants include Joby Aviation, Beta Technologies, Wisk Aviation and the Texas Department of Transportation.
Archer’s first-ever passenger flights will happen in the Texas Triangle, home to more than 20 million people. The region includes the DFW, Austin, Houston and San Antonio areas. San Antonio isn’t part of Archer’s rollout.
Archer said it aims to turn 60- to 90-minute drives into 10- to 20-minute flights.
“Texas is setting the bar for America’s leadership in the next generation of aviation,” Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer Aviation, said in a statement.
“Our planned networks will make the benefits of electric air taxis real for Texans — trading hours in traffic for minutes in the air, while connecting the biggest airports, business districts and sporting hubs in ways that America’s largest megaregion needs to grow,” Goldstein said.
The three networks
Archer Aviation’s planned Dallas-Fort Worth network. [Image: Archer Aviation]
Of the three metro areas, plans for the DFW network feature the most air taxi stops — seven. They are Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Love Field, Addison Airport, Arlington Municipal Airport, Fort Worth Meacham International Airport, Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport and Frisco Station, a 242-acre mixed-use development surrounding the Dallas Cowboys headquarters and practice facility, The Star.
Five stops will be available in the Houston metro: George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport, Sugar Land Regional Airport, Galveston and the Thompson Houston hotel’s helipad.
In the Austin area, three stops are planned: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Austin Executive Airport and the helipad at the Circuit of The Americas, or COTA. Over the weekend, Archer displayed its four-passenger Midnight aircraft at COTA during the F1 United States Grand Prix.
Archer will fly its Midnight aircraft in all three metros. Midnight is a piloted air taxi designed for quick back-to-back flights across congested cities, the company said. It can travel at 150 mph with a maximum range of 100 miles.
“The race to dominate next-generation aviation is moving faster than ever. Archer Aviation is a prime example of American innovation, demonstrating that the United States has what it takes to be the global standard,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a statement.
“These three planned networks will not only allow Texans to reclaim their time but also strengthen American leadership in the skies,” Cruz said.
Archer and eVTOL
Archer’s plan is the most detailed air taxi network proposed in North Texas. But one of its rivals, Joby, has been active in the region.
This summer, Joby signed a lease at Alliance Air Trade Center in Haslet for a 45,000-square-foot hub. Last month, Joby conducted test flights between DFW Airport and Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport.
Outside DFW, both Joby and Archer completed piloted test flights this year of their aircraft in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Archer Aviation’s Midnight air taxi flies over the San Francisco Bay. The aircraft is designed for short flights across congested cities, with a maximum range of 100 miles. [Photo: Archer Aviation]
Coordinating with three major international airports in the Bay Area “demonstrated Midnight’s ability to seamlessly integrate into complex urban airspace much like the skies above Houston, Dallas and Austin,” Archer said.
Before launching its Texas network, Archer plans to conduct test flights in Southern California in advance of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games.
Archer is a member of America’s Consortium for Electric Skyways, or ACES, which plans to set up an eVTOL charging network across Texas. Beta Technologies also is part of the consortium. ACES wants to electrify up to 250 air taxi sites at U.S. airports and metro areas by 2030.
R E A D N E X T
North Texas has plenty to see, hear, and watch. Here are our editors’ picks. Plus, you’ll find more selections to “save the date.”
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