Archer Aviation has announced it is partnering with several US cities to submit multiple applications for initial electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi operations, as part of the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP).
The program is a public-private initiative led by the US Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, intended to support the integration of air taxis into the US national airspace. The DOT’s rollout of its Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Strategy provides a strategic framework for incorporating eVTOLs into the airspace system.
Archer says its applications to the eIPP are structured as public-private partnerships with cities in California, Texas, Florida, Georgia and New York. This includes a notable exclusive application with the City of Huntington Beach, California, making Archer the only air taxi OEM participating in that bid.
The eIPP is guided by the DOT and FAA and aims to bring together industry participants, regulators and local governments to establish early operational pathways for eVTOL services. Archer says its focus is on building essential local operations teams, upgrading infrastructure to accommodate electric aircraft and coordinating with public safety and emergency agencies to lay the groundwork for long-term air taxi operations.
The DOT’s National AAM Strategy outlines 40 recommendations to support safe eVTOL integration, addressing topics such as certification, operations, infrastructure and early deployment. The FAA is expected to review the eIPP applications in this early phase and announce selections in early to mid-2026, with initial operational activity targeted for later in that year.
“We’re past the question of ‘if’ and firmly into ‘when and how’,” said Archer CEO Adam Goldstein. “Through our close work with the Administration, DOT, FAA and other federal agencies, we now have the clearest path to market this industry has ever had. The focus now is execution—building, deploying and flying these aircraft here in the United States.”
Source: Archer Aviation
