Southwest Airlines And Archer Aviation Partner On Electric Air Taxi Service In California

On Friday, Southwest Airlines and Archer Aviation announced plans to develop electric air taxi service at California airports.

In a press release, the two companies said they signed a memorandum of understanding laying out the foundation for integrated electric air taxi networks that would support California airports and surrounding communities.

Archer’s Midnight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi is designed to revolutionize urban air travel by replacing 60- to 90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10- to 20-minute electric air taxi flights. The aircraft can fly a pilot plus four passengers on back-to-back flights, with only 10 to 12 minutes of charge time in between.

As California’s largest air carrier, operating at 14 airports across the state, Southwest said it was eager to explore the convenience Archer’s air taxis could provide for customers in busy urban areas.

“With Archer’s Midnight aircraft, passengers will be able to fly above traffic to get to the airport faster,” said Nikhil Goel, chief commercial officer at Archer. “By putting together Southwest’s impressive network of airports in California and their frequent intrastate flights with our planned network, Southwest customers could someday complete door-to-door trips like Santa Monica to Napa in less than three hours.”

The companies say they plan to collaborate over the next few years as eVTOLs take flight.