Archer Advances Midnight eVTOL FAA Certification

‍SANTA CLARA — Archer Aviation (ACHR) says its Midnight electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft has closed Phase 3 of the Federal Aviation Administration’s four-phase type certification process, moving the company closer to formal compliance testing and potential early U.S. operations in 2026.

The milestone is important, but it is not final certification. Archer said the aircraft is now progressing into Phase 4, where Midnight must demonstrate compliance with FAA airworthiness requirements through formal testing and analysis.

Certification progress, not final approval

Archer said it is the first eVTOL developer to close Phase 3 of the FAA type certification process, based on information available to the company. The next stage is the more consequential one: proving the aircraft meets the agreed certification basis through FAA-recognized testing.

The company is also expanding its piloted flight-test program. During the first quarter, Archer said it conducted piloted vertical takeoff and landing and conventional takeoff and landing flights across its fleet nearly every day, often multiple times per day.

Separately, Archer has taken over operations at Hawthorne Airport in Los Angeles, near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and several major sports and entertainment venues. The company expects the airport to anchor its planned LA air taxi operations, including preparations tied to the LA28 Olympic Games.

Early U.S. operations targeted in 2026

Archer expects initial Midnight operations in U.S. cities to begin this year under the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, known as eIPP, in coordination with the Department of Transportation and FAA. The company was selected as an air taxi partner in three winning applications covering eight states, including Florida, Texas, and New York.

The DOT and FAA announced the eIPP selections in March, saying the program will create real-world testing environments for next-generation aircraft and provide data to help the FAA develop regulations for scaled Advanced Air Mobility operations. The selected projects include urban air taxi service, regional passenger flights, cargo and logistics, emergency medical operations, autonomous flight, and offshore transportation.

That distinction matters for travelers and investors. eIPP operations may allow limited, structured use cases before the market reaches broad commercial scale, but they do not eliminate the need for aircraft certification, operational approvals, infrastructure readiness, and public acceptance.

Investor reaction, financial runway

Archer’s latest update also carried a financial signal. Gulf News reported that Archer shares rallied after the company’s first-quarter results and certification update, reflecting investor optimism around the company’s 2026 launch targets.

Archer ended the first quarter with approximately US$1.8 billion in liquidity and limited debt exposure. The company reported US$1.6 million in revenue for the quarter, a US$217.7 million net loss, and an adjusted EBITDA loss of US$172.5 million.

The figures show both sides of the eVTOL business case: Archer has enough capital to keep pushing through certification, testing, manufacturing readiness, and early operations, but it is still in a heavy investment phase with limited revenue.

Future flight

For Archer, closing Phase 3 is a credibility marker in a sector where certification timelines have often been more important than aircraft renderings or launch promises. The company is moving from design-agreement work toward the harder task of proving Midnight’s compliance in front of regulators.

For the broader air taxi market, the milestone also suggests that U.S. regulators are beginning to move eVTOLs from experimental promise into structured operational testing. The strategic question is no longer whether electric air taxis can fly, but whether they can be certified, operated, dispatched, maintained, and accepted at airline-like safety standards.

Archer’s 2026 target remains ambitious. The next test will be whether FAA-supervised certification work, eIPP operations, and LA28 preparation can converge into a real commercial pathway rather than another high-profile aviation technology delay.

The update comes as rival Joby Aviation (JOBY) has been showcasing its own U.S. launch readiness, including recent point-to-point eVTOL demonstration flights between JFK and Manhattan heliports in New York City.