U.S.-based air taxi manufacturer Archer Aviation has received the first-ever design approval for an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft vertiport in the United Arab Emirates.
On April 24, Archer announced that it obtained approval from Abu Dhabi’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to convert an existing helicopter landing pad at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal into a hybrid takeoff and landing site for both helicopters and eVTOL aircraft.
The project is being carried out in partnership with Falcon Aviation, a UAE-based aviation infrastructure company. Once complete, the site will become the first operational vertiport in the UAE capable of serving both traditional helicopters and eVTOLs. Located at a major tourism hub that welcomes around 650,000 visitors annually, the terminal is seen as a key entry point for future urban air mobility (UAM) services.
This development follows Archer’s 2023 agreement with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), under which the company committed to launching commercial air taxi operations in the UAE by 2026.
Archer is considered one of the leading players in the global eVTOL market, alongside Joby Aviation. Its flagship aircraft, Midnight, is designed to carry four passengers plus a pilot, optimized for short trips of around 20 miles, with a charge time of approximately 10 minutes.
