Archer Aviation has secured a streamlined certification pathway in the United Arab Emirates for its Midnight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, positioning the company for early commercial operations in the country. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has transitioned Midnight into a Restricted Type Certificate (RTC) program, which Archer says is the first such arrangement for an eVTOL manufacturer with the regulator.
According to the company, the RTC framework is geographically limited to the UAE but is designed to allow many of the same commercial passenger and cargo operations that would be permitted under a full type certificate. Archer’s head of certification, Eric Wright, said the effort involves rigor comparable to conventional certification, including Design Organization Approval, Production Organization Approval, substantial compliance work, and flight testing.
The RTC program establishes an airworthiness pathway aligned with international aviation frameworks and is intended to support long-term commercial viability in the UAE. Archer and the GCAA are progressing across eight parallel workstreams covering aircraft certification, operations, maintenance, flight crew training, airspace integration, vertiports, security, and oversight. Archer is working with Abu Dhabi Aviation as its planned local operating partner, with the pathway expected to enable limited commercial operations and early revenue generation ahead of broader international approvals.