The United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Archer Aviation have advanced the certification pathway for the Midnight eVTOL aircraft, moving the programme into a Restricted Type Certificate (RTC) framework intended to support initial commercial air taxi operations in the UAE.

The move makes Archer the first eVTOL manufacturer to transition to an RTC certification track with the UAE regulator, using an airworthiness pathway aligned with international aviation standards.

According to the GCAA, the RTC programme provides a streamlined regulatory pathway that will allow limited commercial operations while supporting the long-term certification and operational viability of the Midnight aircraft within the UAE aviation ecosystem.

The milestone follows several years of collaboration between Archer and the GCAA, including inspections at Archer’s United States headquarters and flight test facilities, together with in-country demonstration flights involving the Midnight aircraft.

The initiative has also been supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), which is positioning Abu Dhabi as a regional hub for smart and autonomous mobility technologies through its SAVI cluster programme.

As part of the certification process, Archer has begun work toward securing both GCAA Design Organisation Approval (DOA) and Production Organisation Approval (POA), representing key regulatory benchmarks tied to engineering oversight and safety management systems.

“The GCAA is committed to safely integrating innovative aviation technologies into the UAE airspace,” said Eng. Aqeel Al Zarooni, Assistant Director General of the Aviation Safety Affairs Sector at the GCAA.

The regulator confirmed that work is progressing across eight operational areas linked to commercial readiness, including certification, maintenance, operations, flight crew training, vertiports, airspace integration, security and oversight.

Archer plans to introduce Midnight operations in Abu Dhabi through a partnership with Abu Dhabi Aviation, one of the region’s established aviation operators.

Mahmood Al Hameli, Group CEO of Abu Dhabi Aviation, said the development demonstrated confidence in the UAE’s aviation infrastructure and regulatory environment.

Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer, described the UAE as one of the most progressive markets globally for advanced aviation technologies.

“Advancing Midnight into this RTC program is a major step toward bringing electric air taxis to the UAE,” Goldstein said.

The announcement reflects the UAE’s broader strategy to position itself at the forefront of advanced air mobility development and urban air transport integration.