Archer Aviation has selected Falcon Aviation as its vertiport infrastructure partner for critical locations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a significant step towards launching Archer's Midnight flying car with the UAE operator across the MENA region as soon as 2025.

They will start by developing vertiport infrastructure at Falcon Heliport at Atlantis, the Palm in Dubai and at the Marina Mall heliport in Abu Dhabi's Corniche. Driving between the two cities during peak traffic can take more than two hours. Archer and Falcon plan to offer passenger service in Archer's Midnight flying car between these two Falcon vertiports, which will operate almost entirely over water with scenic views of both cities and clock in at as little as 30 minutes from take off to landing. Archer believes it is the first to announce a flying car service on this route between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, a prominent and congested commute corridors.

"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," says Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein. "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."

Falcon CEO Captain Ramandeep Oberoi adds: "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."

Earlier this month, Falcon opened its renovated Falcon Tours Heliport Terminal at Atlantis, the Palm. The operator currently provides helicopter charter service between the Palm Jumeirah to key destination cities in the UAE as well as sightseeing trips. As early as next year, the companies plan for this hub to serve Archer’s Midnight aircraft, operated by Falcon Aviation, as a quieter, safer and more affordable option than helicopters.

This reinforces an agreement signed last year for Falcon Aviation to operate a fleet of Midnight aircraft and to expand the two companies' UAM ecosystem in the UAE, Archer's first international launch market. This followed a significant preliminary deal for Archer last year with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, which promised economic incentives to help accelerate Archer's growth in the region, in particular the creation of its first international headquarters and manufacturing facilities, as part of Abu Dhabi's Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) Cluster. GAL-AMMROC also committed to provide MRO support.

Archer CCO Nikhil Goel says: "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."