New Delhi, Nov 9 (Agency) InterGlobe Enterprises and Archer Aviation on Thursday announced plans to launch all-electric air taxi service across India in 2026 starting with three key metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to operate the all-electric air taxi service, subject to appropriate regulatory approvals and clearances. Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director of InterGlobe, and Nikhil Goel, Chief Commercial Officer of Archer, signed the MoU to form a proposed partnership through which the parties aim to provide the revolutionary transportation solution. “The parties intend to work with select in-country business partners to operate Archer’s aircraft, finance and build vertiport infrastructure, and train pilots and other personnel needed for these operations,” a joint statement said.
The partnership also plans to finance the purchase of up to 200 of Archer’s Midnight aircraft for the India operations. Archer’s Midnight aircraft is a piloted, four-passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights. “The goal is for a passenger on an InterGlobe-Archer flight to be able to fly the 27-km Delhi trip from Connaught Place to Gurugram, typically taking 60 to 90 minutes by car, in approximately 7 minutes,” the statement said. Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director of InterGlobe said, “We are excited at this new opportunity of bringing an effective, futuristic and sustainable transport solution by introducing Archer’s electric aircraft to India.” As per the official statement, Archer’s all-electric Midnight aircraft is designed to provide a revolutionary transportation solution that can help address these congestion issues. “At Archer, our goal is to make cities greener, smarter, more efficient places to live. We couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Rahul and the InterGlobe team to bring our Midnight aircraft to Indian cities and fundamentally transform mobility across the country, with the goal of starting with Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru,” said Nikhil Goel, Chief Commercial Officer of Archer Aviation.