What could an air taxi network in New York look like? Archer has its answer: ditching cabs to get from the city centre to local airports in mere minutes.

Archer Aviation is one of several firms racing to offer the first "air taxi" networks — in the US or elsewhere — using eVTOL (electric take off and landing) aircraft, though they all await certification. Under these proposals, it would team up with United Airlines and other partners to use Archer's air taxi to ferry passengers to airports.

"Under this concept of operations, passengers would book Archer flights as a complement to traditional airline travel, reducing door-to-door travel times," the company said in a statement, noting United has been a "long-time investor" in the company.

In a statement, Archer said it would make use of existing "aviation properties" in the region, taking advantage of New York's existing network of airports and helipads.

It aims to link JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports with regional airports including Westchester, Teterboro and Republic Airport in Long Island with helipads at East 34th Street, West 30th Street and the Downtown Skyport.

"With its existing helicopter infrastructure, regulatory support and strong demand, I believe New York could be one of the first markets for air taxis in the United States," said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer.

The Midnight aircraft is piloted, can carry four passengers, and will be quieter and less polluting than the helicopters that currently traverse New York skies. Goldstein told me in an interview a few weeks back that the aircraft was "the evolution of the helicopter."

Not quite yet for New York air taxis

As with any air taxi route maps, caveats abound. So far, this is just a network map proposal, with no solid timetable in place as Archer is still working with the Federal Aviation Authority on Type Certification for its "Midnight" aircraft, but the regulator paused its eVTOL ruling to give the Trump administration time to assess the plans.

“We’ll ramp commercial operations upon receiving Type Certification from the FAA. We’re taking a step by step approach for any new market we’re launching in, starting with a few aircraft on a few routes,” a company spokesperson told me in an email.

“Midnight’s Type Certification is the last piece,” the spokesperson added. “We already have approval from the FAA to operate a commercial airline (Part 135) and NY has an abundance of certified infrastructure. We’ll work closely with the EDC [Economic Development Corporation] and PANNJ [Port Authority of New York and New Jersey] to launch here safely.”

Beyond that, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first air taxi network announced by Archer, with similar plans unveiled for San Francisco and LA last year. Naturally, neither are yet in the air because of the lack of certification, but Archer said at the time of the LA announcement in August that its goal was to begin operations in the region in 2026. Rival Joby recently unveiled similar plans in the UK.

As with New York, Archer’s LA and San Francisco networks target two-hour-long drives with flights of up to 20 minutes. In New York, Archer said the aim would be to fly passengers from central locations to airports in five to 15 minutes.

International start for air taxis

Given Archer and American rivals Joby both rely on FAA certification to take to the air in the US, it’s perhaps more likely both will begin services in Abu Dhabi and Dubai where each have plans to begin services in the next year or so, respectively. UK-based Vertical Aerospace plans to reach certification by 2028.

So far, the first eVTOL style air taxi to win type certification is EHang, which received approval from China's Civil Aviation Administration earlier this year, and plans to begin very limited commercial services for tourist trips this summer.

Perhaps no surprise given the ongoing trade kerfuffle sparked by Trump, Archer stressed it was building the Midnight aircraft in the US.