Archer Aviation and United Airlines Plan Chicago eVTOL Service by 2025

United Airlines (UAL) and Archer Aviation (Archer) plan to launch Chicago's first electric air taxi service in 2025, connecting O'Hare International Airport with Vertiport Chicago, a facility located near the city's downtown area. The service will use Archer's Midnight aircraft, which are electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles that carry four passengers and a pilot. The flight time between the airport and the city center will be about 10 minutes, compared to more than an hour by car during peak traffic, according to Archer.

The air taxi service is part of United's and Archer's efforts to decarbonize air travel and provide a more sustainable, convenient and cost-effective mode of transportation for travelers, according to the companies. United Airlines has committed to buy 100 of Archer's aircraft and invested $10 million in the startup. Archer Aviation is one of many companies in the emerging urban air mobility (UAM) market, which aims to use eVTOLs and other technologies to create new ways of moving people and goods within and between cities. UAM is a subset of advanced air mobility (AAM), which encompasses all forms of electric or hybrid-electric aviation.

However, the air taxi service faces several technical and political challenges before it can become operational. eVTOLs require certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is still developing the regulatory framework. The eVTOLs also need to integrate with the existing air traffic management system and deliver promised safety and noise standards. Moreover, the air taxi service needs to gain public acceptance and support from local authorities and stakeholders, who may have concerns about environmental, social and economic impacts.

United Airlines and Archer Aviation are working with various partners, including the City of Chicago, the Chicago Department of Aviation, World Business Chicago, the State of Illinois, ComEd, and Vertiport Chicago, to overcome these challenges and launch the service by 2025. They hope that Chicago will become a model for other cities in the US and around the world to adopt eVTOLs as a viable transportation option.