The electric vehicle take-off and landing (eVTOL) developer, Archer Aviation, has announced that its subsidiary, Archer Air, has received its Part 135 Air Carrier and Operator Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US.
The certificate allows Archer Aviation to begin operating aircraft commercially to refine its systems and procedures in advance of launching its eVTOL Midnight, once it receives Type Certification, into service for airlines like United Airlines.
The Part 135 certificate signals that Archer Air demonstrated to the FAA its adherence to the necessary policies and procedures to begin operating aircraft commercially.
Archer becomes only the second eVTOL developer in the world, after Joby Aviation, to secure the Part 135 certificate from the FAA.
Archer previously announced it had received its Part 145 from the FAA, which allows it to perform specialized aircraft repair services.
Now with both certificates received, once Midnight receives its Type Certification, Archer will be able to commence air taxi operations.
“We are honored to receive the Part 135 Air Carrier & Operator Certificate from the FAA, which is another important stepping stone on the way to commencing commercial air taxi operations with our Midnight aircraft,” Adam Goldstein, Founder and CEO of Archer, said. “This milestone reflects our team’s unwavering dedication to safety and operational excellence as we stand up one of the world’s first electric air taxi services for communities across the US with a safe, sustainable and low noise transportation solution.”
The completion of the Part 135 certification process involved five rigorous stages, which entailed the submission of extensive documentation of operational manuals and procedures.
Archer’s pilots also needed to demonstrate proficiency with those manuals and procedures under FAA observation.
“The pace of progress and innovation that Archer has achieved over the last few years is nothing short of impressive and today marks another key milestone in their journey to bring safe, sustainable, and low noise air taxi services to market,” said Mike Leskinen, United Airline’s Chief Financial Officer, said. “United Airlines extends our congratulations to Archer’s team on receiving their Part 135 Air Carrier & Operator Certificate. Together, we look forward to shaping the future of air transportation and delivering unparalleled flying experiences to United passengers.”
