The story
Founded by Adam Goldstein.1
Archer was founded on October 16, 2018, by Adam Goldstein and Brett Adcock to develop electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The company was originally started by Goldstein and Adcock and privately funded. Later, Marc Lore, a Walmart executive, also supported its launch.
In 2022, Adcock departed from both the leadership team and the board. Goldstein is currently the sole CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company.
Initially, Archer worked on developing aircraft with the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida; Goldstein and Adcock are both alumni. Archer now operates a research lab on the University of Florida's campus in Gainesville, Florida, which was funded by Goldstein and Adcock.
In August 2022, United Airlines paid Archer a $10 million deposit for 100 electric flying taxis. On November 10, 2022, Archer and United Airlines announced plans for the first electric air taxi route in the US, with an initial route between Newark Liberty International Airport and the Downtown Manhattan Heliport. Archer became an IPO (ACHR)on September 20, 2021.
On November 17, 2022, Archer unveiled details of its production vehicle dubbed "Midnight". The aircraft is a piloted, four-passenger air taxi the company said will enter flight testing by the second quarter of 2023 and service by 2025. However, as of late 2026, Midnight has not begun FAA's TIA testing or demonstrated the Midnight's ability to fly in EVTOL with humans on board.
Archer announced its Maker prototype had achieved full remote transition from vertical to horizontal flight on November 29, 2022. This milestone was said to be an important validation step for the flight control systems and aircraft architecture that is also applicable to its Midnight production aircraft.
In January 2023, Archer announced a partnership in which Stellantis, a multinational automobile manufacturer, would provide up to $150 million in equity capital to support Archer's growth and to collaborate on the development and production of Archer's eVTOL aircraft for urban air mobility. The purpose of the partnership solidifies Stellantis as Archer's exclusive contract manufacturer for mass production of its eVTOL aircraft.
In March 2023, Archer and United Airlines announced plans for an electric air taxi route between O'Hare International Airport and Vertiport Chicago on the city's near west side.
Read the full text
On June 5, 2024 Archer received its Part 135 Air Carrier and Operator Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In July 2024, Archer and Southwest Airlines established an agreement to develop operational concepts for air taxi networks.
In December 2024, Archer had completed the construction of ARC, a new 400,000 square-foot eVTOL manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia.
On Feb, 2025 Archer Aviation received its Part 141 certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), enabling the company to establish its pilot training academy.
In June 2025, at the Paris Air Show, Archer Aviation and Dubai-based Jetex signed an agreement to collaborate on developing eVTOL facilities, starting in the United Arab Emirates at the Jetex Abu Dhabi private terminal. The partnership, signed by Archer CEO Adam Goldstein and Jetex Founder & CEO Adel Mardini, will see Jetex provide access to its network of private terminals to support the launch of Archer’s Midnight air taxi services in the region.
In July 2025, Archer Aviation’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft conducted its first test flight outside the United States at Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi. The flight tested performance under UAE-specific conditions—such as high heat, humidity, and dust—and marked a major milestone in advancing Archer’s planned urban air mobility operations in the region. It was supported by the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC) and observed by senior officials from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and related aviation authorities.
In November 2025, Archer acquired Hawthorne Municipal Airport in Los Angeles for US$126 million for use by its EVTOL craft.
In August 2026, Archer Aviation acquired Boeing subsidiaries Wisk Aero, Insitu, and Skygrid in exchange for 19.75% of Archer's shares.
From Wikipedia’s article on Archer Aviation, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.7