Southwest Airlines and Archer Partner on California Air Taxi Networks | Aviation International News

Southwest and Archer Plan California eVTOL Routes

Archer's Midnight air taxi could serve California's busiest airports

Archer's Midnight eVTOL aircraft is pictured during a flight test — Archer has been flight-testing a prototype of its four-passenger Midnight eVTOL aircraft in Salinas, California. © Archer Aviation

By Hanneke Weitering • Science & Technology Editor

July 12, 2024

Southwest Airlines and Archer Aviation have agreed to co-develop a concept of operations for eVTOL air taxi networks in California. In a memorandum of understanding announced July 12, the two companies pledged to collaborate on prospective plans to use Archer’s Midnight aircraft on routes connecting California’s biggest airports to their surrounding communities.

Their MoU arrives on the heels of Archer’s announcement that it is working with a real estate developer to develop plans for a possible vertiport site at Oyster Point in South San Francisco. The San Jose, California-based aircraft developer is also a partner of United Airlines, which has already placed a down payment of $10 million for the first 100 of up to 200 Midnight aircraft it has provisionally agreed to purchase. United and Archer have previously announced routes in Chicago and New York City.

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