Soon people can travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in 10 minutes with air taxi ride
- Archer Aviation is launching a fleet of flying taxis in the UAE
- Trips will cost between Dh300 and Dh1,500
- The fleet will feature ‘Midnight,’ its piloted four-passenger aircraft
Published on Jun 14, 2024 at 11:14 AM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Jun 14, 2024 at 4:13 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
You could be able to hail an air taxi sooner than you might think.
Archer Aviation is revolutionizing the cab game.
UAE residents will be able to skip long drives and traffic jams in favor of quick flights.
We could see these flying taxis in the skies as soon as 2025.
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Archer Aviation received multi-million dollar investments earlier this year.
These funds were used to manufacture Midnight, its aircraft designed for short-distance urban travel.
The air taxi can seat four passengers and has plenty of room for luggage.
According to the chief commanding officer, Nikhil Goel, these aircraft will be in service within the next 18 to 24 months.
What is the air taxi designed by Archer Aviation?
Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft, capable of performing consecutive flights quickly and requiring minimal turnaround time between journeys.
“It will fly around 500 meters in remote areas and can go as high as 3,000 to 4,000 meters in urban areas,” said Goel.
Rather than creating a whole new infrastructure for flying cars, these taxis will stay in the lanes already designated for helicopters.
They will work with Dubai and Abu Dhabi air traffic control to ensure the rules of the sky are being adhered to.
The routes will be carefully chosen to avoid tall buildings around tourist hotspots.
There will likely be a pricier and more private service for the wealthy to use too.
Archer Aviation is currently hiring and training pilots for its air taxi fleet.
The future of taxi services
Major cities are racing to make flying taxis a reality.
The UK government is aiming for 2026, while China is in the lead having already had successful test flights take place in Guangzhou.
Archer Aviation’s fleet will operate in the UAE, in competition with EHang.
Flying taxis will offer new levels of convenience, turning what would have been a 90-minute car trip into a 20-minute flight.
Trips within cities will be between $82 (Dh300) and $90 (Dh350), while trips between emirates will cost between $218 (Dh800) and $408 (Dh1,500).
Pretty pricey, but can you really put a price on skipping traffic?
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Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
