Archer Midnight showcases in-country eVTOL flight test campaign in UAE

Archer Aviation announced successful completion of an in-country eVTOL flight test campaign, showcasing Midnight full eVTOL flight envelope – including vertical takeoff, transition, and wingborne flight – in the UAE’s local operating environment and over desert areas. The campaign marks a major step forward in the implementation of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Air Mobility vision, developed under the supervision of the Integrated Transport Centre. In connection with this progress, Archer has now begun receiving payments under its definitive agreement with Abu Dhabi Aviation related to its Launch Edition program.

This marks another key step in Archer’s expansion into the United Arab Emirates and is part of the company' Launch Edition commercialization program, which aims to make Abu Dhabi the first region in the world to begin commercial operations with Midnight. Archer’s flight test campaign in Abu Dhabi successfully demonstrated key aspects of Midnight’s performance and reliability under UAE-specific operating and environmental conditions, supporting the company’s path toward operational readiness in the region. The tests were conducted in close coordination with GCAA, Integrated Transport Centre and Archer’s operations partner, Abu Dhabi Aviation.

Adam Goldstein, Archer’s Founder and CEO commented: “We designed Midnight to be able to handle challenging weather environments like the UAE with its sand and heat, and it delivered the results we expected it to across all phases of flight. Our ‘Launch Edition’ program has proven to be an effective framework to help accelerate Archer and our partners’ progress toward commercialization in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE.”

Mahmood Al Hameli, Group CEO of Abu Dhabi Aviation Group stated: “The successful completion of these initial flight tests highlights Abu Dhabi’s commitment to creating an innovation-friendly environment that will support efforts to successfully implement eVTOL aircraft into the UAE’s airspace. Our collaboration with Archer continues to demonstrate how partnerships between global innovators and local industry leaders, via Archer’s ‘Launch Edition’ program, can accelerate the arrival of this transformative new mode of transportation in the UAE and beyond.”

With this phase of in-country testing now complete, Archer will move into the next phase of its “Launch Edition” program with support from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and the Integrated Transport Centre, working to recruit and train local pilots in partnership with Etihad Aviation Training, further advance certification work with the GCAA, conduct additional flight test operations with Abu Dhabi Aviation, and continue preparing for early-stage commercial operations in Abu Dhabi.

This progress follows ADIO’s recent activation of Archer’s investment framework, which is a definitive agreement designed to accelerate Archer’s commercialization efforts in the UAE. Together, these developments underscore the strong, coordinated momentum driving Abu Dhabi’s emergence as a global leader in advanced air mobility.