[title]
Imagine getting from Manhattan to one of our major airports in under 15 minutes. That’s exactly what aviation company Archer, in partnership with United Airlines, promises to deliver with their upcoming air taxi service—which is apparently already in the works.
According to The Verge, the service will utilize existing helipads at East 34th Street, West 30th Street and lower Manhattan “to launch its all-electric Midnight aircraft, which has space for four passengers and a pilot.” The outlet reports that ticket holders will be able to fly from these Manhattan hubs to JFK, LaGuardia and Newark—as well as three smaller regional airports: Westchester County Airport, Teterboro Airport and Republic Airport.
As for pricing, no official numbers have been released just yet, but it looks like the service will be offered as an “add-on” to your flight. We’re guessing it won’t be cheap—especially considering it slashes airport travel time down to nearly one-tenth of what it usually takes. Let’s be real: there’s no real price tag you can put on not sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic while panic-scrolling your airline’s check-in page.
There’s also no timeline for a NYC launch just yet, but Archer has already announced plans to roll out its Midnight aircraft in Los Angeles ahead of the 2028 Olympics. So, things are definitely moving.
One more thing: the Midnight aircraft is 100% electric, running entirely on battery power with a range of up to 100 miles and speeds reaching 150 miles per hour. That means no emissions, no fuel and a total win-win-win if you ask us.
Fair warning, though: whenever it does finally hit the skies, Midnight might freak you out a bit the first time you spot it in action. As The Verge explains, the aircraft “is designed to take off and land vertically like a helicopter,” before shifting into forward flight like a plane.
The future is, indeed, (almost) here.