Archer and Falcon partner on Abu Dhabi to Dubai service
Archer has selected Falcon Aviation as its vertiport infrastructure partner in Abu Dhabi and Dubai ahead of launching air taxi services between the two cities as early as next year.
Archer and Falcon Aviation will start by developing vertiport infrastructure at Falcon Heliport at Atlantis, the Palm in Dubai and the Marina Mall heliport in Abu Dhabi’s Corniche. Commuting during peak traffic between the two cities can take more than two hours. The planned passenger service, which will operate mostly over water, could cut journey times down to as little as 30 minutes.
Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said: “Partnering with established operators such as Falcon Aviation, as well as the capital of the Emirates with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, has been key to quickly building our presence in the region. We look forward to paving the way for the introduction of our Midnight aircraft to the region which will set the stage for the UAE to become a global leader in urban air mobility.”
The partnerships builds on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last year, where Falcon agreed to operate Archer’s aircraft. The UAE is set to be the Californian OEM’s first international launch market.
Falcon Aviation CEO Captain Ramandeep Oberoi said: “For nearly two decades, Falcon Aviation has been at the forefront of helicopter passenger transport in the UAE. Our partnership with Archer is a leap into the future, as we prepare to offer flying car services together in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, continuing our tradition of world-class transportation solutions.”
Last week, Falcon Aviation also announced the inauguration of its renovated heliport terminal at Atlantis, the Palm. There Archer and Falcon unveiled a vision of what the future vertiport and service will look like.
Archer chief commercial officer Nikhil Goel said: “We have made rapid progress in the UAE over the past three months since announcing Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be home to our first international Midnight flights as soon as 2025. We’re proud to be the first to announce plans to operate between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, along with vertiport infrastructure at both ends of the commuter journey.”
The news also follows a preliminary deal announced last year with between Archer and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office which promised economic incentives to help accelerate Archer’s growth in the region as part of Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) Cluster.
