The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has added Archer Aviation's "Midnight" aircraft to its restricted type certificate program, a step that strengthens the regulatory path for the aircraft to enter service in the UAE and paves the way for limited commercial operations within an approved regulatory framework.
Archer Aviation explained that the restricted type certificate program provides an approved path for limited operation of electric air taxis in the UAE, and ensures that Midnight is developed on a regulatory basis that supports long-term commercial viability in the country, according to a post on the Emirates News Agency (WAM) website.
This progress comes after years of technical cooperation between the GCAA and Archer Aviation, including field audits carried out by the authority's experts at the company's headquarters and flight test facilities in the United States, as well as Midnight flights within the UAE.
Archer Aviation is the first manufacturer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to move to the restricted type certificate path with the UAE GCAA, through an airworthiness path aligned with international aviation frameworks.
As part of this regulatory phase, the company has begun procedures to obtain Design Organization Approval and Production Organization Approval from the GCAA, reflecting an advanced level of confidence in the company's engineering and safety management systems.
Eng. Aqeel Al Zarooni, Assistant Director General of the Aviation Safety Affairs Sector at the GCAA, explained that the authority is committed to safely integrating innovative aviation technologies into the UAE's airspace.
Through the program, Archer Aviation and the GCAA have made progress across 8 key workstreams toward commercial readiness, including aircraft certification, operations, maintenance, flight crew training, airspace planning, vertiports, security and oversight.
Midnight is scheduled to enter service in Abu Dhabi in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Aviation, Archer Aviation's local operating partner in the country.
Mahmoud Al Hamli, CEO of Abu Dhabi Aviation Group, explained that this achievement reflects the company's confidence in the UAE aviation system and Abu Dhabi's readiness to adopt innovative solutions, adding that operating advanced air mobility systems safely and responsibly opens new opportunities for connectivity, operational efficiency and sustainable economic growth in the emirate.
For his part, Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer Aviation, noted that Midnight's move into the restricted type certificate program is an important step toward operating electric air taxis in the UAE, given what he described as the country's global leadership in advanced aviation.
To view the post on the Emirates News Agency website, click here.
