Blog 26: 03/25/23: News: eVTOL Service by United!
Midnight-class eVTOL before being painted in United livery
Big news: Starting in 2025, Archer Aviation has partnered with United Airlines to launch the first-ever eVTOL service.
Midnight eVTOL after purchase by United
A literal air taxi route (just exactly what it says) between Chicago-O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Vertiport was just announced this week using Midnight-class eVTOL aircraft. These eVTOLs, or electric-powered Vertical Takeoff/Landing, are designed, if Archer Aviation can be believed, to be competitive with common rideshare services especially Uber Black, and ideal for trips of 20 minutes or less, with than 12 minutes charge time in between trips an d a maximum range of around 100 standard miles. According to their marketing pitch on their site, “Midnight is aiming to redefine what travel can be: low cost, low noise, with the safety of commercial airlines.” (https://www.archer.com/midnight)
If the O’Hare-Vertiport route is successful, other air taxi routes will open in the future as United has high hopes for this service. United purchased 100 Midnight eVTOLs at a pricetag of $1 billion US Dollars in 2021/2022.
An optimal route United wants to open is Newark-Liberty International Airport to New York City, which would take about 10 minutes. Everyone Chief Executive and Chief Operating and Chief Marketing Officer has stated that this is an air taxi service that will be either low-cost or cost-effective.
Archer, with United Airlines, seeks to exemplify and redefine the over (some might say under) developed market of UAM - Urban Air Mobility. The O’Hare-Vertiport taxi route, known as the UA Chicago Air Taxi, still needs to be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and woujld, if approved, be the very first air taxi / eVTOL to operate commercially in North America.
I’ll post the links/sources at the bottom.
Archer Aviation Midnight-class eVTOL ready for takeoff
Powered by 6x Turboprop electric engines, statistics are still sketchy.
https://www.archer.com/midnight
https://airwaysmag.com/archer-united-first-evtol-air-shuttle/?fbclid=IwAR3NX9Y_6bfcEd_AsLQ6LWeVtrJtGrMGJ0zTUs_NyxDIbleeixiW4qfJEkA
https://www.businessinsider.com/united-airlines-electric-flying-taxis-archer-aviation-maker-midnight-photos-2022-8
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