HomeFull speed ahead. Keep track of advancements in every frontier

TheTechno Optimist.

MidnightArcher Aviation—
Midnight
Courtesy of Archer Aviation · Press kit, editorial use (opens investors.archer.com)

Midnight

by Archer AviationUS

PilotStage 3 of 5

Flight testing in the US and UAE; first passenger flights targeted for 2026.

Updated 7 May 2026Checked 25 Sep0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · UAE limited safety-approval program
  1. Maker demonstrator first hoverDec 2021Complete.
  2. Midnight unveiledNov 2022Complete.
  3. First piloted Midnight flightJun 2025Complete.
  4. UAE test flights cover the full flight range2025Complete.
  5. UAE limited safety-approval programTarget 2026Current milestone.
  6. First passenger-carrying flights in the UAETarget 2026+12 mooriginally 2025Not yet reached.
  7. FAA type certificate (safety approval)Not yet reached.

Most important updates

  • 7 May 2026
  • 2 Jul 2025
  • Jun 2025
  • 27 Feb 2025
  • 19 Dec 2024

Upcoming

  1. 2026UAE limited safety-approval program (next)
  2. 2026First passenger-carrying flights in the UAE+12 mooriginally 2025
  3. Jul 2028LA28 Olympics: Archer, the Games' official air-taxi provider, plans to fly Midnight in Los Angeles

Current obstacles

  • Tight on weightTwelve motors plus batteries leave little room for passengers; safety rules tend to add weight.
  • Noise and wind at landing padsRooftop and airport pads need noise and rotor wind low enough for neighbours and ground crew.

Physics limits

  • Batteries hold about 40 times less energy per kilo than jet fuelThe best lithium-ion cells store roughly 0.25–0.3 kWh per kg; kerosene holds about 12 kWh per kg. Even after motors' higher efficiency, that caps range at tens of miles, and a battery weighs the same when empty.
  • Hovering on small rotors costs several times the power of cruiseA rotor lifts by pushing air down; the power needed rises as disc area shrinks. Small propellers must move air fast, so take-off and landing burn a big share of each trip's energy and stress the battery hardest.
  • Noise climbs steeply with blade-tip speedRotor noise grows very quickly as blade tips speed up. Making an air taxi quiet means bigger, slower-turning rotors, which add weight and drag; every design trades quietness against payload and range.

How it works

3 parts
Midnight in wing-borne flight over the UAE desert: the front propellers have tilted forward to pull, the rear lift rotors are stopped
Midnight in wing-borne flight over the UAE desert: the front propellers have tilted forward to pull, the rear lift rotors are stoppedCourtesy of Archer Aviation · Press kit, editorial use (opens investors.archer.com)
Lift

Twelve propellers lift

All twelve propellers lift it off; the computer keeps it level by changing their speeds.

Transition

Front propellers tilt

The six front propellers tilt forward while the rear six slow and stop as the wing takes over.

Cruise

Flying on the wing

Only the tilted propellers push in cruise, so it uses little power.

Spec sheet

SpecMidnight
OccupantsPilot + 4 passengersR (reported)
Propellers12 (6 tilt, 6 lift-only)R (reported)
Speed~150 mph (240 km/h)R (reported)
Typical trip20–50 milesR (reported)
Battery packs6R (reported)

R reported by the company

Peer comparison

Air taxis peers
SpecMidnightJoby Aviation Joby S4
OccupantsPilot + 4 passengersR (reported)Pilot + 4 passengersR (reported)
Propellers12 (6 tilt, 6 lift-only)R (reported)6 tiltingR (reported)
Battery packs6R (reported)4R (reported)

R reported by the company

Papers & demos

1 item
  1. Dec 2021demo
    Maker demonstrator first hover flight (opens archer.com)Tested the 12-propeller layout on a smaller aircraft before Midnight.

Update log

7 updates

Thu 7 May

  • Major: PressRegulatory

Wed 2 Jul 2025

  • Minor: PressTest

Jun 2025

  • Major: PressTest

Thu 27 Feb 2025

  • Minor: PressCommercial

Thu 19 Dec 2024

  • Minor: PressManufacturing

Nov 2022

  • Minor: PressHardware

Feb 2021

  • Minor: PressCommercial

About Archer Aviation

The team behind Midnight

Archer Aviation

Midnight air taxi, UAE launch, military hybrid

Archer builds Midnight, a four-passenger electric air taxi with twelve propellers, six of which tilt. It targets first passenger flights in Abu Dhabi and US trials in 2026, builds with Stellantis and works with Anduril on a military version.

  • In 2026 the UAE put Midnight on a path to a limited safety approval, the first air taxi to get one.
  • Carmaker Stellantis builds with Archer and invests; United Airlines placed an early order.
  • Named official air taxi provider of the LA28 Olympics.

archer.com (opens archer.com)Company profile →

Founded
20188 yrs
Headquarters
United States
Status
Public
Listed
ACHR (opens google.com)NYSE
Valuation
public
Works in
AviationAir taxis
Coverage
1 program · 7 updateslatest 7 May 2026checked 25 Sep
Customers
United Airlines (opens united.com)Abu Dhabi Aviation (opens ada.ae)
Partners
Anduril
Investors
Stellantis (opens stellantis.com)
People
Adam Goldstein (opens en.wikipedia.org)Co-founder and CEO
Primer