Archer Aviation Midnight
Archer Aviation · United States · Air Mobility · also known as Archer Midnight, Midnight eVTOL · Updated
Midnight is a piloted, all-electric vertical take-off and landing air taxi developed by Archer Aviation in California, in the United States. It seats one pilot and four passengers and is designed for short urban hops rather than long sectors. As of 2026 the aircraft was in flight testing as part of its United States Federal Aviation Administration type certification programme.
Design and capabilities
Midnight has twelve propellers arranged around a fixed wing: six tilting units ahead of the wing that provide lift on take-off and thrust in cruise, and six aft units that work only in the vertical phase of flight. The aircraft draws on six independent battery packs, an arrangement intended to keep flight possible if one pack fails. There is no combustion engine.
Published performance figures give a maximum and cruise speed of 150 mph, about 240 km/h, a range of 100 miles, about 161 km, and a service ceiling of about 3,000 ft, roughly 900 m. Archer has described the aircraft as carrying a payload of more than 1,000 pounds and has optimised it for back-to-back trips of about 20 miles with short recharges between them. Dimensions such as wingspan, length and maximum take-off weight have not been published in the sources used here.
A pilot flies the aircraft from on board. Archer has said the design is built around a pilot-flown operation from the outset, and the FAA-supervised flights reported in 2026 were conducted with a pilot in the cockpit.
Programme status
Archer unveiled Midnight on 17 November 2022 in Palo Alto, California, and the prototype first flew on 25 October 2023. The FAA finalised airworthiness criteria for the type on 23 May 2024. Archer reports completing the first stage of its FAA type certification programme on 30 January 2024 and the second on 8 June 2024, the latter marked by a remotely piloted transition between vertical and wing-borne flight. Over 400 test flights were flown during 2024.
In July 2025 Archer flew Midnight outside the United States for the first time, conducting remote testing at Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi for regional evaluation. Archer states it completed the third certification stage in April 2026 and the fourth in August 2026, the latter with an FAA-supervised piloted round trip between Salinas and Monterey airports in California. A type certificate had not been issued at the time of writing.
Announced customers and orders include United Airlines, Future Flight Global, Korean Air, the Republic of Serbia and a single aircraft for evaluation by the United States Air Force in July 2025. Archer has said it aims to begin initial operations in the United States, but no entry-into-service date has been confirmed by a regulator.
FAQ
Is it flying today? Yes, as a test aircraft in the FAA certification programme, including piloted flights between airports in California. It is not yet carrying paying passengers.
How many people does it carry? Five in total: one pilot and four passengers.
Is there a pilot on board? Yes. Midnight is a piloted aircraft, not an autonomous one.
