The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and US-based electric aircraft manufacturer Archer Aviation have agreed to move Archer’s Midnight aircraft into a Restricted Type Certificate (RTC) programme.
The RTC framework is intended to support the launch of limited commercial air taxi operations while allowing regulators and manufacturers to continue developing certification standards for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Archer is the first eVTOL manufacturer to enter the RTC certification pathway with the GCAA. The process aligns with international aviation airworthiness frameworks and is intended to support future commercial operations in the UAE.
This development follows several years of collaboration between Archer and the UAE regulator. GCAA officials have conducted inspections at Archer’s headquarters and flight-testing sites in the United States and have participated in demonstration flights involving the Midnight aircraft in the UAE.
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) has also supported the programme as part of broader efforts to develop Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industries (SAVI) cluster.
As part of the latest phase, Archer and the GCAA are beginning work on Design Organization Approval (DOA) and Production Organization Approval (POA) processes. These approvals are used in aviation regulation to assess a manufacturer’s engineering, production and safety management systems.
Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer, said:The UAE has been one of the most forward-leaning markets in the world for advanced aviation, and the GCAA has been a strong, collaborative partner throughout this process. Advancing Midnight into this RTC program is a major step toward bringing electric air taxis to the UAE.
Archer plans to introduce Midnight services in Abu Dhabi through a partnership with Abu Dhabi Aviation, which is expected to act as the local operator for the aircraft.
The Midnight aircraft is designed as an electric air taxi intended for short urban journeys. Archer has previously identified the UAE as one of its early international launch markets as governments and aviation authorities continue developing regulatory frameworks for commercial eVTOL operations.
