Photo: Archer Aviation ITA Airways and Archer Aviation announced n Thursday, October 29, the signing of a cooperation agreement to develop an electric air taxi network in Italy, using Archer's Midnight aircraft.
According to the companies' announcement, the partnership will explore operating services in major Italian cities, aiming to replace 60–90-minute road trips with 10–20-minute electric flights.
The most prominent example concerns passengers landing in Rome: According to Archer's estimate, a drive of about an hour from Fiumicino Airport to the city center could be shortened to a flight of less than ten minutes.
As part of the collaboration, ITA will focus on connecting the planned service to its flight network and building an integrated passenger journey, alongside specialized partners who will be responsible for operation.
ITA Airways CEO Jörg Eberhart said the agreement is a step towards exploring how electric air taxis could complement the company's network and improve connectivity between airports, city centers and other destinations.
ITA is the first European airline to join Archer’s airline partnership network. However, no launch date or pricing has been announced, and the deal is subject to regulatory approvals and completion of agreements and conditions.