Archer and ITA Airways Explore Electric Air Taxi Network in Italy

Archer Aviation and ITA Airways have entered an agreement to explore a potential electric air taxi network in Italy. The companies are evaluating use of Archer’s Midnight aircraft for possible connections between airports, city centers and other destinations; the agreement does not establish a commercial service.

Key details

• Rome Fiumicino Airport to central Rome is one potential route. Archer estimates the flight could take less than 10 minutes.
• ITA Airways would assess the passenger experience and potential links with its airline services. Specialist partners may operate the air taxis.
• Archer said Midnight recently completed several days of piloted flights in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, including a flight between Oakland and San Francisco’s Marina District that took about 10 minutes.

Archer estimates a flight from Rome Fiumicino Airport to central Rome could take less than 10 minutes.

Why it matters

The arrangement brings a major Italian airline into discussions about how electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft could connect airport journeys with city destinations. For travelers using Rome Fiumicino, the proposed route offers one example of how those links might work if the companies move beyond evaluation.

What happens next

Archer and ITA Airways can continue assessing the aircraft, passenger experience and possible airline connections as they work through the arrangement’s conditions. Which Italian destinations would you like to see considered for a future air taxi network?