Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's Largest Carrier, and Archer Sign Agreement to Deploy Midnight Under the "Launch Edition" Program
- Archer announced today that it has signed an agreement outlining plans to deploy an initial fleet of Midnight aircraft to Africa's largest carrier and Star Alliance member, Ethiopian Airlines, under Archer's "Launch Edition" program valued at up to $30M.
- The companies will work together to over time build an air taxi network in the region, with Archer planning to provide Ethiopian Airlines with a team of pilots, technicians, and engineers to support the initial deployment of these early launch edition Midnight aircraft in Ethiopia.
- While the two companies will primarily focus on developing an air taxi network in the region, they will also explore other use cases, including eco-tourism.
Archer Aviation (NYSE:ACHR) announced today that it has signed an agreement with Ethiopian Airlines, making it the second customer planning to deploy Archer's Midnight under the "Launch Edition" program. Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier and a proud member of Star Alliance, operates an extensive global network, serving over 140 international destinations across five continents. The two will now work to bring an all-electric air taxi network to the region using Archer's Midnight aircraft.
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Archer announces that it has signed an agreement outlining plans to deploy an initial fleet of Midnight aircraft to Africa's largest carrier and Star Alliance member, Ethiopian Airlines, under Archer's "Launch Edition" program valued at up to $30M.
Archer announced the Launch Edition program in February 2025 in an effort to create a scalable commercialization framework for safely deploying aircraft in early adopter markets, enabling the company to demonstrate the capabilities of its Midnight aircraft, drive public acceptance, build operational experience and generate early revenue.
Archer plans to deploy an initial fleet of Midnight "Launch Edition" aircraft to Ethiopian Airlines with a team of Archer pilots, technicians, and engineers to support this initial deployment. Archer also plans to provide backend software infrastructure and front-end booking applications to help power urban air mobility operations during the Launch Edition program.
While Archer and Ethiopian Airlines will primarily focus on developing an air taxi network in the region using Midnight, the two are also exploring using Midnight for a broader range of use cases, including eco-tourism.
Archer and Ethiopian Airlines formalized this partnership during a signing ceremony this week in Addis Ababa. The two will continue working with the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) to efficiently and safely operationalize Midnight.
Mesfin Tasew, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, said, "We are committed to pioneering advanced air mobility solutions that enhance connectivity and drive sustainable aviation in Africa. Our partnership with Archer Aviation marks an important step in bringing cutting-edge eVTOL technology to Ethiopia. Together, we aim to redefine regional travel and create new opportunities for efficient, eco-friendly transportation."
Archer Founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said, "Last month we announced Abu Dhabi Aviation as our first Launch Edition customer—today we're following that up with our second, Ethiopian Airlines. Africa presents an untapped opportunity with regards to advanced air mobility, with a variety of compelling use cases that we'll be exploring together, and I'm proud to be taking a big step forward here alongside Ethiopian Airlines."
Alastair Curtis, General Manager, Africa, at Archer, said, "This partnership with Ethiopian Airlines represents a transformative step in bringing sustainable and efficient air mobility solutions to Ethiopia and the broader African market. At Archer, we're committed to working with forward-thinking partners to unlock the potential of eVTOL technology. This is just the beginning of a new era of aviation for Africa."
"U.S. aviation companies have time and again highlighted the best of American quality and innovation, and we're excited at the opportunity for Archer to make an impact in the region while making America more prosperous through its new agreement with Ethiopian Airlines," said Nathan Stickney, Commercial Attaché, U.S. Embassy, Addis Ababa.
Archer's goal is to transform urban travel, replacing 60–90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10–20-minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, low-noise and cost-competitive with ground transportation. Archer's Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back trips with minimal charge time between flights.
About Archer
Archer is designing and developing the key enabling technologies and aircraft necessary to power the future of aviation. To learn more, visit www.archer.com.
About Ethiopian
Ethiopian Airlines Group (Ethiopian) is a true African success story, transforming a visionary dream into a globally renowned reality for nearly eight decades. Ethiopian Airlines is committed to environmental sustainability through continuous investment in modern, fuel-efficient aircraft, innovative green initiatives, and sustainable aviation practices. As Africa's leading airline, Ethiopian prioritizes reducing carbon emissions, enhancing operational efficiency, and implementing eco-friendly solutions across its operations. From embracing cutting-edge technology to driving reforestation projects, Ethiopian remains dedicated to building a greener future for global aviation. For more information, please visit www.ethiopianairlines.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward looking statements regarding Archer's business plans and expectations, including statements regarding Archer's aircraft performance, the development, certification, manufacturing and commercialization of its aircraft, the expected benefits, amount and timing of anticipated revenue and scalability of the "Launch Edition" commercialization program and associated deployment of aircraft, anticipated use cases for Archer's aircraft, business opportunities, planned infrastructure and operations in the customer's geographic regions, and international expansion. In addition, this press release refers to an agreement that is conditioned on the future execution by the parties of additional binding definitive agreements incorporating the terms outlined in this agreement, which definitive agreements may not be completed or may contain different terms than those set forth in this agreement. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors. The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted are more fully detailed in Archer's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is or will be available at www.sec.gov. In addition, please note that any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that Archer believes to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. Archer undertakes no obligation to update these statements as a result of new information or future events.
Source: Archer Aviation
Text: ArcherIR
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