Conducted at Al Ain Airport, the campaign showcased Midnight’s performance and reliability in the region’s challenging sand and heat environment. The flight tests were carried out in close coordination with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) and Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA), Archer’s local operations partner. The company has also begun receiving payments under its definitive agreement with Abu Dhabi Aviation related to the Launch Edition programme.

This progress forms part of the broader AAM roadmap led by the ITC, with Abu Dhabi positioning itself to become the first region globally to commence commercial operations with Midnight. The emirate recently announced plans to develop an air taxi network featuring more than 10 vertiport sites, further supporting early-stage deployment.

Archer continues to build momentum across certification, training and operational readiness. In October, the company hosted a week-long working session with the GCAA at its San Jose headquarters to accelerate regulatory approvals. Archer’s airline team is also working alongside Etihad Aviation Training to advance pilot training frameworks as the UAE prepares its future eVTOL workforce.

“We designed Midnight to be able to handle challenging weather environments like the UAE with its sand and heat, and it delivered the results we expected across all phases of flight,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s Founder and CEO. “Our ‘Launch Edition’ programme has proven to be an effective framework to help accelerate Archer and our partners’ progress toward commercialisation in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE.”

Mahmood Al Hameli, Group CEO of Abu Dhabi Aviation Group, added: “The successful completion of these initial flight tests highlights Abu Dhabi’s commitment to creating an innovation-friendly environment that will support efforts to successfully implement eVTOL aircraft into the UAE’s airspace. Our collaboration with Archer continues to demonstrate how partnerships between global innovators and local industry leaders can accelerate the arrival of this transformative new mode of transportation.”

With the initial phase of in-country testing concluded, Archer now moves into the next stage of its Launch Edition programme. This includes recruiting and training local pilots in partnership with Etihad Aviation Training, advancing certification work with the GCAA, continuing flight operations with Abu Dhabi Aviation and preparing for commercial rollout supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). ADIO recently activated Archer’s investment framework, a definitive agreement designed to accelerate the company’s commercialisation efforts in the UAE.

These coordinated developments underscore Abu Dhabi’s growing status as a global hub for advanced air mobility and its commitment to deploying next-generation air transport solutions.