ITA Airways partners with Archer Aviation to develop Italian air taxi network

Lufthansa Group carrier is the first European operator to sign an agreement with the US-based eVTOL developer.
ITA Airways has become the first European carrier to partner with electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) developer Archer Aviation, with a view to developing an air taxi network across Italy.

The Lufthansa Group carrier has signed an agreement with Archer to explore the possibility of deploying the latter’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft on air taxi services in major Italian cities. It points to the example of replacing a 1h car ride from Rome Fiumicino airport to the city centre with a 10min air taxi flight.

Currently in development, the eVTOL aircraft features 12 electric motors and propellers, six of which tilt, and can carry up to four passengers plus a pilot.

While it recently completed a series of piloted test flights over San Francisco Bay, the Midnight aircraft has yet to perform a manned transition flight, a critical step on the way to US Federal Aviation Administration certification.

First European partner for Archer

ITA is the first European carrier to sign an agreement with Archer. In the USA, the developer has partnered with United Airlines to look at developing an air taxi network in New York, while in the Middle East it has teamed up with Abu Dhabi Aviation to launch services in the United Arab Emirates.

“This agreement with Archer represents an important step in assessing how electric air taxi services could complement our network and enhance connections between airports, city centres and other strategic destinations,” says ITA chief executive Joerg Eberhart.

“As part of this process, we are exploring different solutions to identify the best possible product for our customers.”

Archer founder and chief executive Adam Goldstein adds: “Italy has the regulatory leadership, the infrastructure and now the airline partner to make air taxis a reality.”

ITA says its contribution to the partnership will be to focus on “enabling an integrated customer journey and connecting the new service with its network”.

Archer is involved in a legal battle with rival eVTOL developer Vertical Aerospace over an alleged patent infringement. It has also had legal tussles with another competitor, Joby Aviation, with both companies having sued the other over the alleged theft of trade secrets.

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