InterGlobe Enterprises, the parent company of IndiGo, and Archer Aviation have officially entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on launching and operating an all-electric air taxi service in India. The partnership aims to revolutionize urban mobility by providing a safe, sustainable, and low-noise electric air taxi service that competes in cost with ground transportation.
The MOU was signed by Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director of InterGlobe, and Nikhil Goel, Chief Commercial Officer of Archer. The proposed partnership envisions working closely with in-country business partners to manage Archer’s aircraft, develop vertiport infrastructure, and train the necessary personnel, including pilots, for seamless operations. The collaboration also plans to secure funding for up to 200 of Archer’s Midnight aircraft dedicated to operations in India.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted, four-passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, is designed for rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between journeys. The ultimate goal is to enable passengers to traverse the 27-km Delhi route from Connaught Place to Gurugram, typically taking 60 to 90 minutes by car, in an astonishing 7 minutes.
In addition to urban air taxi services, the partnership aims to explore various use cases for electric aircraft in India, including cargo transport, logistics, medical and emergency services, as well as private company and charter services.
Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director of InterGlobe, expressed enthusiasm about the new venture, stating, “Over the last two decades, InterGlobe has been involved in providing safe, efficient, and affordable transportation to hundreds of millions of Indians across the country. We are excited at this new opportunity of bringing an effective, futuristic, and sustainable transport solution by introducing Archer’s electric aircraft to India.”
Archer’s CEO and Founder, Adam Goldstein, highlighted the significance of India as a major opportunity for eVTOL aircraft utilization, given its vast population and significant urban congestion challenges. Goldstein remarked, “Archer’s all-electric Midnight aircraft is designed to provide a revolutionary transportation solution that can help address these congestion issues.”
Nikhil Goel, Chief Commercial Officer of Archer Aviation, echoed these sentiments, saying, “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.”
