Abu Dhabi: Archer Aviation has partnered with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to commence air taxi operations in Abu Dhabi in 2026. As part of this initiative, ADIO plans to support Archer with incentives for establishing its first international headquarters and manufacturing facilities in the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) Cluster in Abu Dhabi.
Both parties signed an agreement in the presence of several other aviation industry participants from across the region, including Falcon Aviation and GAL-AMMROC, committed to supporting this strategic initiative.
Mr. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the General Civil Aviation Authority, stated that “the GCAA recently visited Archer Aviation’s global headquarters in California to inspect its Midnight aircraft and learn about their certification progress with the Federal Aviation Administration. Our goal is to approve Archer’s air taxi to fly in the UAE as soon as it is certified by the FAA, and we are very excited to collaborate with them to bring electric air taxis to the country.”
“We are thrilled to work with Archer to host their first international operations in Abu Dhabi. Bringing electric aviation to the UAE will help unlock congestion with zero emissions and, in turn, bring millions in foreign direct investment and thousands of jobs to the region over the next decade,” Mr. Badr Al-Olama, Acting Director-General of ADIO, shared.
According to Mr. Adam Goldstein, Archer Aviation’s founder and CEO, the company plans to partner closely with ADIO and the Department of Economic Development to bring manufacturing and operations for our air taxis to the region. “Together, we are positioned to be a driving force in making all-electric air taxis a reality in the skies of the UAE and beyond in the coming years,” Mr. Goldstein added.
Archer’s goal is to transform urban travel, replacing 60–90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10–20-minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, low-noise, and cost-competitive with ground transportation.