Archer Aviation and ITA Airways have signed an agreement to develop an all-electric air taxi network in Italy, targeting major cities across the country.
The partnership will use Archer’s Midnight electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. ITA Airways, Italy’s flag carrier and a member of the Lufthansa Group, serves more than 70 destinations worldwide and is part of the Star Alliance network.
The companies aim to introduce air taxi services offering zero-operating-emission flights to reduce journey times in congested urban areas. Archer’s Midnight aircraft is designed for rapid consecutive flights, with the company targeting journeys of 10 to 20 minutes that would otherwise take 60 to 90 minutes by car.
One potential route would connect Fiumicino Airport with central Rome. Archer estimates that a journey taking about an hour by road could be completed in less than ten minutes by air.
The agreement marks a step towards integrating electric air mobility into Italy’s transport network, with the partners looking to provide faster connections between airports and major urban centres.
With this latest agreement, ITA Airways becomes the first European carrier to join Archer’s global network of airline partners, extending its commercialisation strategy already underway in the U.S., UAE, and beyond.
