Airtaxi network announces five planned Bay Area locations

(KRON) — The Bay Area is set to introduce a new form of commute. On Thursday, Archer, an electric aircraft company, announced that it would offer an “air mobility network” in South San Francisco, Napa, San Jose, Oakland, and Livermore, replacing one-to-two-hour trips by car with zero-emission, 10-to-20-minute air taxi flights.

According to the manufacturer, their first facility could come as early as the end of 2025.

Archer will look to build a main base at Oyster Point in South San Francisco, connecting it with routes to Napa, San Jose, Oakland, and Livermore. The company will work with real estate giant Kilroy Realty Corp to make the 50-acre Kilroy Oyster Point waterfront campus.

The aircraft company said on its website that it aims to compete against ground-based ride services like Uber or Lyft by creating a service “with a price equivalent” to its own.

Archer’s flagship design, Midnight, is built for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers and charge for just a few minutes between trips.

Aside from the main air taxi port at Oyster Point, Archer and Kilroy intend to create a “Sea Portal”—a renewable energy-powered development that offers electric ferry services for waterfront-based companies.

In June, Archer received its Part 135 from the FAAA, a certificate allowing them to operate their airline commercially. Archer became one of just two eVTOL manufacturers to earn a Part 135 worldwide.

It expects to install electric charging stations at locations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami by next year. The company also intends to add electric chargers to planned air taxi hubs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.