InterGlobe Enterprises and Archer Aviation Unveil Ambitious Plan for All-Electric Air Taxi Service Throughout India by 2026
InterGlobe Enterprises, a pioneering travel and hospitality conglomerate in India, and Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR), a number one player in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, have officially announced their strategic collaboration to introduce an all-electric air taxi service across India. The initiative, slated for a 2026 launch, goals to revolutionize urban transportation within the country. The deal comes only weeks after Archer signed an agreement for air taxi services within the UAE.
The partnership was sealed at a signing ceremony hosted at InterGlobe’s headquarters in Latest Delhi, with Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director of InterGlobe, and Nikhil Goel, Chief Industrial Officer of Archer, formalizing the agreement. The collaboration, contingent on regulatory approvals, envisions a groundbreaking transportation solution that enhances urban mobility through a protected, sustainable, and low-noise electric air taxi service, competitively priced against ground transportation.
The proposed partnership outlines plans to have interaction local business partners for operating Archer’s aircraft, constructing vertiport infrastructure, and conducting comprehensive training for pilots and support personnel. Moreover, the collaboration goals to secure financing for as much as 200 units of Archer’s Midnight aircraft, specially designed for rapid, back-to-back flights with minimal charging time between each journey.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted four-passenger eVTOL, targets a powerful reduction in travel times. The goal is to move passengers on a 27-km journey from Connaught Place to Gurugram, which generally takes 60 to 90 minutes by automotive, in roughly 7 minutes.
Except for urban air taxi services, the collaboration has broader aspirations, including exploring applications in cargo, logistics, medical and emergency services, in addition to private company and charter services inside India.
Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director of InterGlobe, expressed enthusiasm, stating, “Over the past twenty years, InterGlobe has been involved in providing protected, efficient, and reasonably priced transportation to tons of of thousands and thousands of Indians across the country. We’re excited at this latest opportunity of bringing an efficient, futuristic and sustainable transport solution by introducing Archer’s electric aircraft to India.”
Archer’s CEO and Founder, Adam Goldstein, emphasized the importance of addressing congestion challenges in India, saying, “I founded Archer with the vision to assist decongest the world’s largest cities. India is one in every of, if not the most important opportunity for eVTOL aircraft utilization on this planet, because it is home to the world’s largest population of over 1.4 billion people and its largest cities face a few of the best congestion challenges on this planet.”
Nikhil Goel, Chief Industrial Officer of Archer Aviation, echoed this sentiment, stating, “At Archer, our goal is to make cities greener, smarter, more efficient places to live. We couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Rahul and the InterGlobe team to bring our Midnight aircraft to Indian cities and fundamentally transform mobility across the country, with the goal of starting with Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.”
Projections by the World Bank indicate that the urban population will greater than double by 2050, resulting in prolonged commutes in major cities worldwide. Archer’s cutting-edge electric air taxis emerge as a timely, sustainable, and low-noise urban mobility solution, aligning with India’s trajectory towards becoming a $5 trillion economy.
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