Archer receives FAA certification to begin operating commercial airline

Archer Aviation subsidiary, Archer Air, has received its Part 135 Air Carrier & Operator Certificate from FAA. This certificate allows Archer to begin operating aircraft commercially to refine its systems and procedures in advance of launching Midnight into service for airlines like United Airlines when it receives Midnight Type Certification. Receiving the Part 135 certificate signals that Archer Air has developed, and demonstrated to the FAA its adherence to, the necessary policies and procedures to begin operating aircraft commercially in accordance with the stringent safety and operational standards set forth by the FAA. 

Adam Goldstein, Founder and CEO of Archer stated: "We are honored to receive the Part 135 Air Carrier & Operator Certificate from the FAA, which is another important stepping stone on the way to commencing commercial air taxi operations with our Midnight aircraft. This milestone reflects our team's unwavering dedication to safety and operational excellence as we stand up one of the world’s first electric air taxi services for communities across the U.S. with a safe, sustainable and low noise transportation solution.”

Mike Leskinen, United’s Chief Financial Officer said: "The pace of progress and innovation that Archer has achieved over the last few years is nothing short of impressive and today marks another key milestone in their journey to bring safe, sustainable, and low noise air taxi services to market. United Airlines extends our congratulations to Archer’s team on receiving their Part 135 Air Carrier & Operator Certificate. Together, we look forward to shaping the future of air transportation and delivering unparalleled flying experiences to United passengers."

Tom Anderson, Archer Air’s Chief Operating Officer commented: “We would like to thank the FAA for their ongoing collaboration with Archer and congratulate the Archer Air team on achieving this important milestone for the company. Over my career, I’ve helped lead the buildout of JetBlue and Breeze Airways and now that Archer has its Part 135 and 145 Certificates from the FAA, I’m thrilled for our incredible team to commence operations on this innovative new air taxi service soon.” 

In addition to its Part 135 certificate, Archer previously announced it has received its Part 145 certificate from the FAA allowing it to perform specialized aircraft repair services. This means Archer has now received the two key operational certificates required from the FAA for it to be in a position to begin its air taxi operations when Midnight receives its Type Certification. The FAA also recently issued the final airworthiness criteria for the Midnight aircraft. The completion of the Part 135 certification process involved five rigorous stages, which entailed the submission of extensive documentation of operational manuals and procedures, as well as Archer’s pilots needing to demonstrate proficiency with those manuals and procedures under FAA observation.