Charles Alcock

<p>News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.</p>


<p>Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.</p>


Q1 expenses were bloated by non-recurring payments to suppliers and lawsuit charges

Archer Expects To Cut eVTOL Aircraft Development Costs in Q2

<p>News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.</p>


<p>News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.</p>


Local operators Falcon Aviation and Air Chateau will fly the four-passenger Midnight vehicle

Abu Dhabi Backs eVTOL Air Taxi Services With Archer and Joby

Hanneke Weitering

<p>News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.</p>


California-based eVTOL developer builds momentum for FAA certification

Archer Aviation Opens Policy Hub in Washington, D.C.

Services will operate from Falcon Aviation's heliports in the UAE

Falcon and Archer Launch Abu Dhabi-Dubai eVTOL Flights

<p><span><span><span>Archer this week said it is on track to launch commercial flights with its four-passenger Midnight eVTOL aircraft in 2025. Reporting year-end financial results on Monday, the company said that at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, it had overall liquidity of around $625 million as it embarks on the latter stages of an FAA type certification process it aims to complete this year.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>With three more certification-conforming prototypes now being built, Archer aims&nbsp;to expand its<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-10-25/archers-midnight-evtol-prototype-aircraft-makes-first-flight"> flight test program</a> and achieve 400 test flights in 2024. The company said it also expects to complete the construction of its series production facility in Georgia this year with automotive group Stellantis, which is its main strategic partner and investor.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>In 2023, Archer’s operating expenses totaled $446.9 million and its cash and cash equivalents were reported at $464.6 million. For the first quarter of 2024, the company expects to have operating expenses of between $100 million and $120 million. The net loss for 2023 was $457.9 million.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>“The Archer team is excited to announce that Midnight is now in the final phase of its certification program,” commented CEO Adam Goldstein. “With the vast majority of the aircraft’s subsystems and components being sourced from leading aerospace suppliers with certification heritage, we have a significantly de-risked path to certification from here. For Archer, 2024 will be all about building conforming Midnight aircraft to be used for piloted credit testing with the FAA and completing the build-out, along with Stellantis, of our volume manufacturing facility in Georgia.”</span></span></span></p>


Managing Editor

Archer Presses Ahead with Midnight eVTOL Flight Testing and Production Plans

<p>Archer Aviation has completed the first of three phases in the flight test campaign for its Midnight eVTOL air taxi and is on track to begin certification testing with the FAA later this year, the California-based company announced January 31. Archer aims to have the all-electric, four-passenger aircraft in commercial service by the end of 2025, starting with routes between airports and city centers.</p>
<p>The Midnight prototype achieved its <a href="https://futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-10-25/archers-midnight-evtol-prototype-aircraft-makes-first-flight">first hover flights</a> in October 2023 and has been routinely flying for the past three months at Archer’s test facilities in Salinas, California. Archer also has been flying a two-seat technology demonstrator called Maker since 2019, and it achieved the first <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-12-01/archer-achieves-first-full-transition-flight-its-maker-evtol-demonstrator">transition flight</a> with the Maker aircraft in December 2022. Transitioning from hover to cruise is a key milestone in the development of any eVTOL aircraft, and this will take place during the second phase of Midnight’s flight test campaign, according to Archer.&nbsp;</p>
<p>For the initial phase of Midnight’s flight test campaign, the remotely piloted prototype executed “an array of progressively more complex flight maneuvers,” including pedal turns and chirp signal tests to evaluate the aircraft’s roll, pitch, and yaw handling qualities. Archer also conducted critical azimuth testing to assess the aircraft’s crosswind capabilities, and it worked with the FAA to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6kwVLQjm_c&amp;ab_channel=Archer">test the downwash Midnight generates</a> during takeoff and landing. The company says it recently upgraded the powertrain on the Midnight prototype to include the first <a href="https://futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-11-19/archer-details-motor-and-battery-design-midnight-evtol-air-taxi">high-voltage battery packs</a> assembled at its pilot manufacturing line in San Jose.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The second phase of Midnight’s flight test campaign will involve what Archer calls an “incremental approach” to speed testing, with the aircraft beginning to angle its six tilting propellers from a vertical to a horizontal orientation to propel itself forward. As it gains horizontal speed, the wing provides increasingly more lift, and eventually the aircraft will transition into fully wingborne flight. Phase 2 of flight testing will culminate with Midnight’s first transition flights. Archer says the Midnight aircraft will have a maximum cruise speed of 150 mph (240 kph), but it doesn’t necessarily need to go that fast to achieve a transition flight. The Maker aircraft transitions to cruise at a speed of about 87 knots (100 mph or 160 kph).&nbsp;</p>
<p>For Phase 3, Archer plans to fly the Midnight aircraft on simulated commercial routes. The company says these flights will demonstrate the aircraft’s operational readiness ahead of the for-credit FAA testing it expects to begin later this year. It is building six additional Midnight prototypes at its San Jose facilities specifically for the purposes of FAA certification testing, and the first of those “FAA-conforming” aircraft will be used for the first flight with a pilot on board.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Archer says it expects the Midnight aircraft to deliver a range of up to 100 miles (160 km) on a single charge, but the electric air taxi is optimized for shorter back-to-back flights of around 20 miles (32 km) with 10 minutes of recharging in between trips. The company is planning to launch commercial air taxi routes in major U.S. cities such as <a href="https://futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-11-09/archer-and-united-airlines-announce-evtol-air-taxi-route-between-manhattan">New York City</a> and <a href="https://futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-03-23/archer-and-united-airlines-reveal-first-air-taxi-route-chicago">Chicago</a> with its partner United Airlines in 2025, with international operations launching in <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-11-16/dubai-heliport-operator-plans-purchase-archers-midnight-evtol-air-taxi">Dubai and Abu Dhabi</a> the following year.</p>


Science & Technology Editor

Archer Revs Up Flight Tests With Midnight eVTOL Air Taxi

<p>New developments at FBOs including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.</p>


<p>News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.</p>


<p>News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.</p>


The business aviation services group announced partnerships with two leading eVTOL aircraft developers

Atlantic, Joby, and Archer Plan for eVTOL FBO Services

<p>Atlantic Aviation is making plans for eVTOL aircraft operations at multiple locations in its U.S. network of FBOs, with partnership agreements announced this week with rival manufacturers Joby and Archer. The partnerships will see electric recharging equipment provided by both companies installed at Atlantic sites, as well as joint work to explore the next steps in preparing for the launch of eVTOL air taxi services in 2025.</p>
<p>On Wednesday morning Archer reported the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Atlantic Aviation covering the provision of vertiport infrastructure at airports in the New York City and Los Angeles metropolitan areas, as well as in San Francisco and Miami. At almost the same time, the business aviation services group announced a similar agreement with Joby, covering the installation of its&nbsp;global electric aviation charging system (GEACS) at several FBOs, starting in New York and Southern California.</p>
<p>The equipment to be installed with Archer is the Combined Charging System (CSS) developed by Beta Technologies, which is also developing an eVTOL aircraft. Both systems are intended for use with&nbsp;multiple aircraft types, but the agreements announced this week did not state whether the cost of the equipment will be covered by Atlantic or the two eVTOL manufacturers.</p>
<p>"A precise division of investment can be expected as detailed, site-specific negotiations with each partner are finalized further down the line," a company spokesperson told <strong>AIN</strong> in a written response to a question. "The MoU referenced in today's releases set the framework and geographic focus areas for these mutually beneficial negotiations."</p>
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<figcaption>Archer is making plans for eVTOL aircraft operations with FBO group Atlantic Aviation. (Image: Archer Aviation)</figcaption>
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<p>"We are impressed with Archer's technology and suite of world-class partners including United Airlines," commented Atlantic Aviation's chief commercial and sustainability officer John Redcay. "We are excited to work together to electrify our aviation assets to enable quiet and sustainable urban air travel in cities across the U.S."</p>
<h3 class="subheading"><strong>Atlantic Supports Business Aircraft at 100 North American Airports</strong></h3>
<p>Atlantic’s FBO network includes more than 100 locations across North America—at least one of which already has an aircraft charger supplied by Beta Technologies. The Vermont-based company, which is developing two types of electric aircraft in addition to charging infrastructure, has already begun installing its so-called “charge cubes” at a few of Atlantic’s FBO facilities, the companies announced last week. <a href="https://futureflight.aero/news-article/2024-01-09/business-aviation-group-installs-betas-electric-aircraft-charging-stations">Atlantic’s first Beta charge cube</a> was recently installed at Elmira Regional Airport in upstate New York, and additional units are coming soon Alabama’s Birmingham International Airport, Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport in Mississippi, and Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport in Massachusetts.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Joby is already using the GEACS to support flight testing at its Marina, California facility and at <a href="https://futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-09-25/joby-delivers-first-evtol-aircraft-us-air-force">Edwards Air Force Base</a>. On January 8 the company announced plans to install the first GEACS intended for commercial air taxi operations <a href="https://futureflight.aero/news-article/2024-01-08/los-angeles-area-airport-get-jobys-electric-aircraft-charging-system">at a Clay Lacy Aviation FBO</a> coming to the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, which is currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2025. In addition to manufacturing aircraft and chargers, Joby also intends to operate a commercial air taxi service using its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft in densely populated areas such as New York City and Los Angeles.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“Infrastructure is a critical piece of the puzzle and Atlantic’s presence in these two key U.S. markets will help ensure we’re well positioned to deliver a meaningful service for our customers,” said Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt. “We’re excited to be working together to lay the foundation for the next generation of clean and quiet flight.”</p>
<p>While Joby and Beta took different approaches to designing their aircraft chargers, both systems will be capable of supporting the kinds of air taxi operations that are expected to launch next year. Beta’s charge cube is an interoperable Level 3 DC fast charger based on the CSS standard for electric vehicles, which has been endorsed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Joby, on the other hand, has created an entirely new interface—the GEACS—that it says will be capable of supporting a greater variety of aircraft in the future, including larger electric commuter airplanes such as the Eviation Alice. Joby <a href="https://www.jobyaviation.com/blog/sharing-decade-progress-charging/">published the specifications</a> of its previously proprietary system online late last year.&nbsp;</p>


Atlantic Aviation Expands Plans for eVTOL Air Services By Partnering With Joby and Archer

<p>Air Chateau International, a private heliport operator in the UAE, intends to purchase up to 100 Midnight eVTOL aircraft from Archer Aviation in a deal worth $500 million. In a memorandum of understanding signed at the Dubai Airshow on November 16, Air Chateau agreed to send Archer a nonrefundable pre-delivery payment of $1 million by the end of December. According to Archer, it will work with Air Chateau over the coming months to “formalize the definitive agreements,” and it expects to receive another $4 million in pre-delivery payments after they seal the deal.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Archer’s <a href="https://futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/midnight">Midnight</a> is a piloted, four-passenger eVTOL aircraft that will initially serve routes connecting major airports and city centers. The California-based company plans to launch its first commercial air taxi routes in New York and Chicago in 2025, and it recently signaled its intent to bring the aircraft to international markets shortly thereafter. In October, the company partnered with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office with the goal of launching commercial <a href="https://futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-10-17/abu-dhabi-launches-evtol-air-taxi-plan-through-alliance-archer-aviation">air taxi services in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai</a> in 2026.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Air Chateau intends to operate Archer’s piloted, four-passenger eVTOL aircraft in Dubai and other locations in the UAE, where it is also working with partners to build more <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-10-12/arcosjet-and-air-chateau-pair-dubai-heliport-plan">ground infrastructure for helicopters</a> as well as future eVTOL air taxis. The helicopter operator has been running an eight-pad commercial heliport at the VIP terminal of Dubai World Central (DWC) Al Maktoum International Airport since 2021, and it is working to open the country's first off-airport commercial helicopter hangar in April 2024.</p>
<p>“Embarking on our journey into being an infrastructure provider two years ago for helicopters, today, we stand at the precipice of realizing our vision for the future of urban air mobility with eVTOLs in Dubai and across the UAE,” said Air Chateau founder and chairman Samir Mohamed.&nbsp;</p>
<p>At the MEBAA business aviation trade show in December 2022, Air Chateau signed an agreement with Swedish infrastructure start-up <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-08-30/kookiejar-sees-yachts-burgers-and-bus-stops-paving-way-vertiport-networks">Kookiejar</a> to develop a vertiport alongside the heliport and VIP lounge at DWC. During the Dubai Airshow this week, Kookiejar also partnered with Eve Air Mobility, Embraer’s urban air mobility division, to develop an <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-11-14/eve-launches-urban-air-mobility-partnerships-dubai-and-india">urban air traffic management system in Dubai</a>.&nbsp;</p>


Dubai Heliport Operator Plans To Purchase Archer's Midnight eVTOL Air Taxi

<p>News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.</p>


Archer Aviation

News

Archer Expects To Cut eVTOL Aircraft Development Costs in Q2

Abu Dhabi Backs eVTOL Air Taxi Services With Archer and Joby

Archer Aviation Opens Policy Hub in Washington, D.C.

Falcon and Archer Launch Abu Dhabi-Dubai eVTOL Flights

Archer Presses Ahead with Midnight eVTOL Flight Testing and Production Plans

Archer Revs Up Flight Tests With Midnight eVTOL Air Taxi

Atlantic, Joby, and Archer Plan for eVTOL FBO Services

Atlantic Aviation Expands Plans for eVTOL Air Services By Partnering With Joby and Archer

Dubai Heliport Operator Plans To Purchase Archer's Midnight eVTOL Air Taxi

Archer Stakes Claim to eVTOL Markets in UAE and India

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