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I wrote the opposite day about Archer Aviation making ready for electrical air taxi service in Los Angeles and San Francisco for the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. A month prior, we wrote about Stellantis (the large automaker) investing $55 million into Archer. However information from Archer is shifting on rapidly. The most recent bulletins from the previous few days are that Archer has landed two large orders — one large in quantity, and one large due to who the customer is and what that might imply down the road.
116 Archer Electrical Plane Ordered
Future Flight International signed an settlement with Archer and plans to purchase 116 electrical “Midnight” plane from Archer. That’s a deliberate buy totaling $580 million.
“Together with this MOU, Future Flight International made an preliminary deposit, and the MOU units out almost $5M in pre-delivery funds to be paid upon the completion of the events’ definitive plane buy settlement,” Archer writes. “Future Flight International was based by members of the management staff at Titan Aviation which has been working enterprise jets worldwide for over twenty years. This plane buy is deliberate to help the businesses’ joint launch of electrical vertical take-off and touchdown plane operations in key international markets.”
Now, right here’s a giant assertion: this newest massive order takes Archer’s “indicative order guide” to $6 billion. After all, these orders have been made very early, are conditional, and are estimates primarily based on quite a lot of elements and assumptions.
Markets the place Future Flight International (FFG) plans to roll out electrical air taxis with Archer embody Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Center East.
“The aviation business is on the cusp of its most fun revolution in many years,” says Karan Singh, CEO and Founding father of FFG. “We’re partnering with Archer to offer tailor-made, versatile aviation companies to our prime shoppers in a number of the world’s most fun locations. Midnight’s versatility makes it well-suited to various routes and mission profiles, whereas additionally offering a world-class expertise and operational effectivity that’s engaging to our company shoppers.”
“This new settlement each grows our potential order guide to just about $6B, and opens up Archer’s international attain to premium worldwide markets,” says Andrew Cummins, Director of Enterprise Growth at Archer. “As our first personal aviation associate, and with their deep ties in aviation and daring strategy, FFG is positioned to be a brand new chief in trendy aviation. Partnering with Karan and the staff at FFG was an apparent selection and a super relationship for Archer.”
United States Air Drive Orders from Archer, Too
When the US Air Drive or Military buys from you, man, you’re in a great spot. If they’re pleased with their order, you may be set for all times promoting that product to them on an ongoing foundation. So, I positively took notice once I noticed that the US Air Drive additionally simply signed an order settlement with Archer.
It’s not for 116 electrical plane, but it surely’s a begin. Nonetheless, it’s gone past the order stage (in a method). Archer has delivered principally a check automobile to the Air Drive. They’ll consider it, and if all seems good, growth, bam, ca-ching. The “AFWERX Agility Prime” contract because it stands is for as much as $142 million value of plane. Nonetheless, if the Air Drive is glad sufficient with the Midnight to order $142 million value, it might order much more than that.
“The supply comes after the U.S. Division of Protection accepted Midnight’s army airworthiness evaluation, a essential approval that confirms Midnight’s readiness for flight testing by AFWERX. This permits AFWERX to conduct government-directed testing of the plane for the U.S. Air Drive and validate operational and military-specific mission ideas,” Archer writes. “A staff of USAF personnel labored alongside Archer’s flight check staff to ramp up operations with Midnight at Salinas. Collectively, these groups executed simulated medical evacuation, cargo, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance flights.”
“Archer’s Midnight plane has the potential to considerably improve our operational capabilities,” mentioned Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX Director and Chief Commercialization Officer for the Division of the Air Drive. “We sit up for persevering with our work with our business companions as we discover the ways in which this superior plane can contribute to the mission.”
Might Archer’s electrical vertical takeoff and touchdown (eVTOL) plane turn out to be a staple of the US Air Drive? We’ll see.
Associated story: Southwest Airways & Archer Aviation to Develop Operational Ideas for Electrical Air Taxi Community
Featured picture courtesy of Archer Aviation
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