ITA Airways and Archer Aviation have agreed to explore an all-electric air taxi network in Italy using Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft. The proposed service would connect major cities and could link airports with urban centres, while integrating with ITA’s airline network. No routes, aircraft numbers or launch date have been confirmed; specialist partners would operate the aircraft, and the plan remains conditional on further agreements and regulatory approvals.
ITA’s role would focus on assessing how air taxi trips could fit into passengers’ journeys and connect with its existing network. Archer cites travel between Rome Fiumicino Airport and the city centre as a possible use case, estimating that a journey taking about an hour by road could take less than 10 minutes by air. This is an example, not a confirmed route. Archer positions the Midnight for 10-to-20-minute flights that could replace some 60-to-90-minute car journeys.
ITA is the first European carrier in Archer’s airline-partner network. The agreement extends the US eVTOL manufacturer’s airline-linked commercialisation plans into Europe, but a service would depend on the aircraft securing the approvals required for commercial operations. Midnight has not yet received FAA type certification; European operations would also require EASA validation of the certificate.
Archer has cited recent piloted demonstration flights in the San Francisco Bay Area, including trips between Oakland and San Francisco’s Marina District that took about 10 minutes.