Flying Taxi Company Plans San Francisco Takeoff-Landing Network

Flying taxi company Archer Aviation is planning to create an air mobility network connecting five locations across the San Francisco Bay area.

Archer plans to develop takeoff and landing facilities in San Francisco, Napa, San Jose, Oakland and Livermore, with the promise of replacing drives of up to two hours with flights under 20 minutes.

Credit: Archer Aviation

Working with Kilroy Realty Corporation, Archer also is planning a critical hub at Kilroy Oyster Point, a 50-acre waterfront campus in South San Francisco.

"We're thrilled to collaborate with Kilroy on developing infrastructure to support Archer’s air mobility service and laying the foundation for a robust network of landing sites throughout the Bay Area," said Bryan Bernhard, chief growth and infrastructure officer at Archer.

The vertiport at Kilroy Oyster Point could open by the end of 2025, according to the company.

Credit: Archer Aviation

Archer recently partnered with Signature Aviation to provide Archer with access to key United Airlines hubs at airports including Newark International and Chicago O’Hare.

Signature is the world’s largest network of private aviation terminals and would provide Archer with access to takeoff and landing sites in major metropolitan areas across the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Texas.

Related:Flying Taxi Company Partners for Service to United Airlines Hubs

The two companies plan to leverage their partnerships with Beta Technologies from Burlington, Vermont, to install Beta’s rapid recharging systems across Signature’s network of terminals

Archer recently received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin operating electric aerial vehicles (EAV) commercially.

The Part 135 Air Carrier and Operator Certificate allows Archer to refine its systems and procedures like commercial airlines.

Archer is the second flying taxi maker to receive a Part 135 certificate from the FAA, following air taxi company Joby Aviation, which received its FAA certificate in 2022.

The Part 135 certificate allows Archer to carry United Airlines passengers to and from airports on Archer flying vehicles once Type Certification is received, which could be as soon as next year. United and Archer are planning to conduct commercial operations together.

Archer has been expanding globally. The company recently signed a deal with KakaoMobility in Korea for the planned purchase of up to 50 of the Archer Midnight at a value of $250 million.

KakaoMobility would own and operate the EAVs in Korea, with flying taxi flights offered to the 30 million registered users on the Kakao T mobile app starting in 2026. 

Related:Flying Taxi Company Archer Aviation Gets FAA Commercial Certification

Archer is constructing three piloted, conforming flying vehicles, one of which is to be used for piloted flight testing later this year and likely for credit flight testing with the FAA.

Archer also recently partnered with Etihad Training to recruit and train pilots to fly its Midnight EAV across the United Arab Emirates.

Archer featured Midnight for the first time in Saudi Arabia, following a recent showcasing of the EAV at the DriftX mobility expo in Abu Dhabi.

Archer is in the process of establishing UAM operations across the UAE with the help of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Falcon Aviation and Air Chateau.

Etihad Aviation Training trains pilots for numerous global airlines and plans to work with Archer to recruit and train pilots for the Archer eVTOL.

Archer plans to provide a Midnight flight simulator for the Etihad training center in Abu Dhabi.

Earlier this year, Archer and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office agreed to accelerate commercial air taxi operations in the UAE, scheduled to start next year.

The EAV company has received the backing of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office in terms of funding in the hundreds of millions of dollars and the building of vertiports and charging infrastructure to support the flying taxi service.

Related:Flying Taxis Coming to Korea; $250M Deal

Archer last year raised $215 million from Stellantis, Boeing, United Airlines and ARK Investment Management, with total funding at that time at $1.1 billion.

Archer’s goal is to replace 60- to 90-minute car trips with 10- to 20-minute flights. The Midnight can carry four passengers and a pilot and is aimed at trips of 20 to 50 miles, with 10 minutes of battery charging time between flights.

For mass production of the EAVs, a high-volume manufacturing facility is being built in Georgia, expected to ultimately be able to produce up to 650 flying vehicles a year.