Santa Clara, CA – September — Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) has announced that its partner, Soracle, a joint venture between Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corporation, has been selected to lead the establishment of air taxi services in the Osaka Prefecture.
This milestone makes Archer the only U.S. eVTOL manufacturer poised to play a key role in developing air taxi operations in Osaka. Soracle plans to deploy Archer’s Midnight aircraft as the core of its fleet under agreements with Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City, representing a critical step in building the regulatory, operational, and community frameworks required to connect Osaka and the broader Kansai region through quiet, sustainable, and safe air mobility.
Archer and Soracle first announced their strategic alliance in November 2024, with the shared goal of launching air taxi operations in Japan. The partnership targets urban areas where ground transport is restricted by congestion or geography. To showcase their vision, Archer’s Midnight aircraft was recently displayed at the Osaka Kansai World Expo, demonstrating the future of advanced air mobility in the region.
Japan, long recognised as a leader in adopting advanced transportation—from high-speed rail to modern aviation infrastructure—is now positioned to become an early adopter in the next generation of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology.
During a recent visit to Archer’s headquarters, a delegation from Japan including Hiromasa Nakano, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, representatives from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, and the Consul General of Japan in San Francisco, met with Archer’s leadership to discuss how to advance commercial air taxi services nationwide.
Archer Founder and CEO Adam Goldstein commented, “We’re proud of our continued partnership with Soracle and applaud their latest milestone securing air taxi rights in Osaka. It was an honour to host Minister Nakano and the Japanese delegation this past week, and I look forward to deepening our relationship in the country as we build the foundation for commercial air taxi services in Japan.”
Yukihiro Ota, CEO of Soracle, added, “We are honoured to announce the partnership agreement with Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City to realise our commercial eVTOL air taxi service in the region. Thanks to Archer’s dedicated and continuous cooperation and support, we are confident that we can achieve this.”
Pictured above: Archer Founder & CEO Adam Goldstein with Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Hiromasa Nakano.
IMAGE CAPTION: Osaka Names Japan Airlines’ And Sumitomo Corporation’s JV, Soracle, With Archer’s Midnight Aircraft As Its Air Taxi Partner
SOURCE AND IMAGE: ARCHER AVIATION
