As India prepares for the next government, with exit polls indicating a resounding third term for PM Narendra Modi, the aviation ministry has initiated work on a project he is keen to bring to the country: urban air mobility. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has set up multiple technical committees to lay the groundwork for the introduction of air taxis, starting with Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru by 2026, followed by other cities like Chennai and Hyderabad.
Once India formulates rules for various aspects of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, IndiGo’s parent company, InterGlobe Enterprises (IGE), will collaborate with US air taxi manufacturer Archer Aviation to establish the required infrastructure.
“DGCA has established several panels to examine different aspects of air taxis, including air navigation, operational routes, safety, and vertiport standards. Everything will be in place for air taxis to take off in India by 2026. In terms of regulatory preparedness for eVTOL services for urban air mobility, India will be ahead of the curve,” said informed sources. A team from Archer recently met with aviation authorities in India regarding the program’s rollout. IGE is in regular communication with the regulator on this matter.
IGE chief Rahul Bhatia has ordered 200 Midnight air taxis from Archer at a list price of around a billion dollars. Archer aims to commence operations in the US, with New York and Chicago, next year. Immediately after that, the plans are to launch in India and the UAE. Bhatia recently visited Archer’s US headquarters and witnessed the eVTOL aircraft.
“Given the extreme congestion in Indian cities, urban (air) mobility is going to do what mobile telephony did to India (for communications in the mid-1980s). They were able to leapfrog people’s ability to communicate. This (air taxi) is not different and will work very powerfully in the country,” Bhatia had said at Archer HQ.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently issued the final airworthiness criteria for Archer’s Midnight aircraft for public inspection. This milestone paves the way for Archer to achieve type certification for Midnight, unlocking the ability to work with the FAA to obtain remaining approvals, test plans, and prepare for piloted flight testing later this year.
India’s aviation authorities will also outline the technical aspects that air taxis will need to meet to fly in the country. Archer’s Indian-origin Chief Commercial Officer, Nikhil Goel, says the cost per passenger of using this service is likely to be just a “slight premium” over Uber.