Archer Aviation Completes California City-to-City Midnight Flights Ahead of Federal eVTOL Program
Photo Courtesy of Archer Aviation
Archer Aviation completed a piloted roundtrip flight between Salinas and Monterey with its all-electric Midnight aircraft as it prepares for planned operations under a federal eVTOL pilot program.
California Blog
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California Blog ☀️
SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 7, 2026, (CALIFORNIA NEWS TODAY) — Electric aircraft developer Archer Aviation has completed a piloted city-to-city roundtrip flight in California with its all-electric Midnight aircraft.
The July 30 flight traveled from Salinas Municipal Airport to Monterey Regional Airport before returning to Salinas. According tot he company, each leg took approximately nine minutes, compared with about 35 minutes or more by car.
Archer reports that it worked with the Federal Aviation Administration to complete the flight as it prepares for operations under the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, known as eIPP, later this year.
“This roundtrip journey is exactly the kind of route we plan to fly with Midnight under the eIPP and in LA during the Olympic Games. This mission provides a template for us to replicate with our partners across Texas, Florida and New York as we get ready for eIPP operations later this year,” said Adam Goldstein, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Archer Aviation.
Archer is working with federal, state and local governments on procedures, infrastructure and operational planning intended to support future air taxi service.
The company is also preparing for operations in Los Angeles in connection with the LA28 Olympic Games, where Archer is designated as the Official Air Taxi Provider.
Midnight is an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft designed for short-distance passenger transportation. Archer is developing the aircraft for routes intended to reduce travel times compared with ground transportation in congested areas.
Archer Aviation develops electric aircraft and related aerospace technologies for commercial and defense applications.
For more information, visit www.archer.com.
Source: Archer Aviation
