Moving InterGlobe Enterprises one step closer to its goal of deploying electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft by 2026, Group Managing Director Rahul Bhatia recently paid a visit to Archer Aviation's headquarters.

“Earlier this week, InterGlobe Founder Rahul Bhatia and CEO Aditya Pande visited Archer Aviation HQ to discuss ideas for advancing our plans to bring electric air taxis to India in partnership with their team," said Adam Goldstein, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Archer Aviation in a post on X.

"We are excited to work together to launch what has the potential to be the largest global eVTOL market with India's aviation leader to help elevate urban mobility and make a positive impact on congestion,” added Goldstein.

“Thanks to InterGlobe Founder Rahul Bhatia and CEO Aditya Pande for another great visit. We are excited to partner with India's aviation leader to bring ‘Midnight’ to the region,” said Nikhil Goel, Chief Commercial Officer at Archer Aviation in a post on LinkedIn.

California-based Archer last year entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with InterGlobe Enterprises, the parent company of IndiGo, to introduce electric air taxis in India, subject to appropriate regulatory approvals and clearances.

The partnership will, in a joint venture, own and operate 200 of Archer’s 'Midnight' aircraft, valued at $1 billion.

The goal is for a passenger on an InterGlobe-Archer flight to be able to fly the 27-km Delhi trip from Connaught Place to Gurugram, typically taking 60 to 90 minutes by car, in approximately 7 minutes.

Archer’s Midnight aircraft is a piloted, four-passenger electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights.

As the acronym suggests, an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft uses electric power to hover, take off, and land vertically.

For commercial operations, Archer is in the final stages of securing approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States. The company anticipates receiving these approvals next year, following which it will proceed to seek clearances in India.

The company aims to begin trials of its electric air taxi in India next year, ahead of a planned commercial launch in 2026, Adam Goldstein told Reuters.

(With Agency Inputs)