- By Divanshi Sharma
- Fri, 10 Nov 2023 01:40 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
InterGlobe Enterprises, the parent company of India's top airline, IndiGo, is collaborating with US-based Archer Aviation to launch an all-electric air taxi service in India by 2026. The goal is to provide a "cost-competitive" alternative to on-road services in order to address the growing need for efficient transportation in India as major cities face congestion and pollution issues.
US-based Archer Aviation which is backed by big players like Stellantis, Boeing, and United Airlines that are specialists in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, representing the future of urban air mobility. Their 'Midnight' e-aircraft has been designed to carry four passengers and a pilot for distances of up to 160 km, is set to make its debut with an initial fleet of 200 aircraft in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
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With the 'Midnight' e-aircraft, the companies expect that the travel time of a journey from Delhi which usually takes 60 to 90 minutes by car is expected to be completed in just about 7 minutes, therefore substantially reducing the travel time. In addition to passenger services, InterGlobe Enterprises also plans on using the e-aircraft for a range of other purposes such as cargo transport, logistics, medical emergencies and charter services.
Archer Aviation has sealed a $142 million deal with the US Air Force to introduce an air taxi service in the UAE. The market responded positively to this announcement, with Archer Aviation's shares witnessing a 1.5% increase in US premarket trading. Additionally, InterGlobe Aviation saw a 0.12% rise after the announcement.
Rahul Bhatia, MD, InterGlobe Group said, “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.”
Nikhil Goel, Chief Commercial Officer, Archer Aviation said, “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.”