This US-built flying taxi could soon serve in UK civil and defense missions
- Archer’s Midnight eVTOL could be making its way to the UK
- The flying taxi could be used in both the civil and defence sectors
- The eVTOL can hold four passengers and hit speeds of 150mph
Published on May 27, 2025 at 6:20 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on May 27, 2025 at 9:15 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Claire Reid
The American-made Archer Midnight eVTOL flying taxi could be making its way to the UK to be used in both civil and defense missions.
Archer’s flagship eVTOL can carry up to four passengers – as well as the pilot – and has a 20-mile (32km) range.
The company behind the aircraft has joined with Anduril Industries UK to look into potential uses for the eVTOL.
The two companies will be working alongside Skyports Drone Services and AtkinsRéalis to explore and develop BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) operations in civil and defense sectors in the UK.
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The eVTOL industry is growing at a rapid rate, with several companies working across different sectors, such as Japan’s SkyDrive, which will be used to provide emergency medical transport in Taiwan, and US-based Joby Aviation set to launch its air taxi service in Dubai in early 2026.
We’ve even recently had the world’s very first eVTOL race.
Now, US-based Archer has shared details of a new arrangement which will see it working alongside Anduril Industries UK, Skyports Drone Services, and AtkinsRéalis to identify potential uses for its Midnight flying taxi in the UK.
The Midnight eVTOL features a unique design which ‘Combines high function, with high emotion’.
It can hit speeds of up to 150mph (241km), meaning that it can turn lengthy journeys on the ground into much shorter ones in the air.
The aircraft is now set to undergo testing to try and identify ways it can be used in the UK.
The Midnight eVTOL flying taxi will be adapted for dual use to ‘support a wide range of UK-focused civil and military use cases, including cargo’.
The first round of tests will reportedly focus on cargo operations before expanding into other areas, including search and rescue and surveillance.
“The UK has clear ambitions both for innovation and growth, as well as to continue its leadership in advanced air mobility,” said Anduril UK managing director Dr Rich Drake.
“This partnership brings together Archer’s leading eVTOL technology, Skyports’ infrastructure expertise and AtkinsRéalis’ safety systems in order to support future flight projects, accelerating VTOL and BVLOS developments.
“It also unlocks opportunities in defense and civil domains, including rapid, low-emission urban transport and surveillance capabilities for defense applications.”
Separate from this project, Archer and Anduril UK are also working on the development of a next-generation hybrid VTOL military aircraft.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
