According to the company, United will take delivery of up to 1 million gallons of Neste MY SAFE in 2024 with the first load arriving in August.

• READ MORE: Signature Aviation Pumping Blended SAF at LAX Terminal

SAF is an alternative to conventional jet fuel designed to be more environmentally friendly than fossil fuel. Created from renewable resources, such as reclaimed cooking oil and feed stocks, it can reduce carbon emissions by up to 85 percent on a lifecycle basis, according to Neste. SAF can be used in unmodified aircraft engines and fuel delivery systems

United is a chief advocate for legislation to grow the SAF market. The airline has been instrumental in helping secure SAF tax credits in Illinois, as well as Washington, Colorado, and California that encourage airports to purchase SAF.

• READ MORE: Boeing Ready to Buy 7.5 Million Gallons of SAF

United is one of the founders of the SAF Coalition, which is described as a consortium of more than 40 airlines, aircraft operators, agricultural enterprises, aircraft and aircraft equipment manufacturers, airports, technology developers, labor unions, and biofuel producers. Its mission is to expand the use of SAF and reduce the reliance on fossil fuels.

In addition to Chicago, the airline has now purchased SAF for airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, and Amsterdam.

“I’m pleased to see United Airlines making this significant move forward by using sustainable aviation fuel daily in flights from O’Hare,” U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said in a statement. “One of the most important things we can do to make American aviation more sustainable is increase the supply of SAF. At the federal level, I’ve been pushing for the increased use of SAF, and I’m going to keep pushing to increase the supply of American-grown, American-made SAF, a true win-win solution that supports domestic farmers and blenders while reducing our nation’s carbon footprint.”

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker echoed the enthusiasm, noting that KORD is one of the busiest hub airports in the United States.

“Illinois’ position as a hub of innovation with some of the most connected airports in the country perfectly aligns with the work of companies like United to build a more sustainable future for travel and reach our shared goal of zero emissions,” Pritzker said.

United Airlines president Brett Hart said tax incentives in Illinois made SAF availability at the airport possible.

“While the market for SAF is still in its infancy, there is a huge opportunity today for airlines and policymakers to work together to support its continued growth,” Hart said.

SAF purchased for United’s fleet is paid for in part through the company’s Eco-Skies Alliance, which allows participating companies to share the “green premium,” or the cost associated with purchasing lower-emission fuels. Since 2021, the alliance has collectively contributed toward the purchase of more than 10.5 million gallons of SAF, according to the company.

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To achieve this, the carrier announced a significant expansion to the already large Flight Training Center in Denver. The expansion is a part of the carrier’s United Next Plan to incorporate an additional building to the training complex and create room for 12 additional flight simulators. 

World’s Largest Flight Training Center

The Chicago-based carrier currently has the largest Flight Training Center in the world in Denver, holding all training events for the over 16,000 pilots flying for the global airline. With the addition of the new building, the complex spans 700,000 square feet of training space in eight buildings, housing 46 full-motion flight simulators. These high-tech simulators provide an environment for the carrier to train pilots on specific aircraft who have been hired and to keep current pilots current and proficient. 

While the new building has six simulators installed currently, the carrier has the ability to install an additional six, bringing the future total to 52 full-motion flight sims. The facility trains pilots 24 hours a day, 362 days a year. The carrier conducts over 32,000 training events each year and can now train 860 pilots a day. 

The new $145 million facility is the latest part in strengthening United’s foundation in Denver, having invested $370 million in the Flight Training Center since 2016. The carrier is a significant part of the local economy in the Colorado capital, spending over $44 million last year on hotel rooms alone for the pilot group and is currently estimating a bill in excess of $64 million this year. 

• READ MORE: United Airlines Will Spend $100 million to Expand Pilot Training Center Amid Pilot Shortage

Into the Future

Two months into the new year, the major carrier has already hired 300 pilots after hiring 2,300 last year. This complements the airline’s plans to add 800 new narrowbody and widebody aircraft over the next decade, requiring a significant demand for qualified, professional pilots. 

While the new facility will increase training capacity for the carrier, United does not believe it will be enough for the thousands of pilots the airline plans to hire and keep proficient. The major airline bought 2 parcels of land near Denver International Airport last year, intending to build a second training center, since the current facility has run out of room to expand. The second site is slated to begin training crews in 2028.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

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“On Monday, United Flight 354 diverted to Denver to address an issue with the slat on the wing of the aircraft,” an airline spokesperson said. “The flight landed safely, and we arranged for a different aircraft to take customers to their destination, which arrived in Boston later that night.”

Slats are moveable panels on the leading edge (front-facing) part of the wing. According to the FAA’s Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, moveable slats are high-lift devices consisting of leading edge segments that move on tracks. Slats can be automatic or pilot controlled. 

There were no reports of injuries to the 165 on board the aircraft.

Photos of the damage were taken by Kevin Clarke, identified as a passenger on board, who said he heard an “incredibly loud vibration” as the jet took off. Clarke said he looked out the window and saw the damaged wing slat and used his cellphone to record images that he shared with the media. Other passengers also posted photos.

• READ MORE: United Airlines Says It’s Disappointed in Boeing

According to Clarke, approximately 45 minutes into the flight, one of the pilots came into the cabin and looked out the window at the torn-up wing then returned to the cabin and activated the public-address system to tell the passengers there was some damage to the wing and the aircraft was going to divert to Denver, where they would be put on another airliner to continued the trip.

The FAA said it is investigating the incident.

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According to a statement from the FAA, the agency has “approved a thorough inspection and maintenance process that must be performed” on all 171 grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft. The statement notes that “upon successful completion, the aircraft will be eligible to return to service.”

Within hours of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 losing a door plug shortly after an early evening takeoff from Portland International Airport (KPDX) in Oregon, the airline grounded its 737 Max 9 fleet as a precaution. The model makes up approximately 20 percent of Alaska’s fleet.

FAA Administer Mike Whitaker noted that the agency grounded the 737 Max 9 on a national scale within hours of the event and “made clear this aircraft would not go back into service until it was safe.”

Whitaker continued: “The exhaustive, enhanced review our team completed after several weeks of information gathering gives me and the FAA confidence to proceed to the inspection and maintenance phase. However, let me be clear: This won’t be back to business as usual for Boeing. We will not agree to any request from Boeing for an expansion in production or approve additional production lines for the 737 Max until we are satisfied that the quality control issues uncovered during this process are resolved.”

In addition, the FAA has “ramped up oversight of Boeing and its suppliers”.

New Instructions from the FAA

Per the statement from the FAA, the agency reviewed data compiled from 40 inspections of grounded aircraft and used it to create a detailed set of inspection and maintenance instructions. It also convened a Corrective Action Review Board (CARB) “made up of safety experts [that] scrutinized and approved the inspection and maintenance process.”

The agency stressed that “following the completion of the enhanced maintenance and inspection process on each aircraft, the door plugs on the 737 Max 9 will be in compliance with the original design which is safe to operate….This aircraft will not operate until the process is complete and compliance with the original design is confirmed.”

Per the FAA, the enhanced maintenance process requires:

• Inspection of specific bolts, guide tracks and fittings
• Detailed visual inspections of left and right mid-cabin exit door plugs and dozens of associated components
• Retorquing fasteners
• Correcting any damage or abnormal conditions

FAA Holding Boeing Accountable

The FAA is also increasing oversight of Boeing’s production lines.

“The quality assurance issues we have seen are unacceptable,” Whitaker said. “That is why we will have more boots on the ground closely scrutinizing and monitoring production and manufacturing activities.” 

Increased oversight activities include: 

• Capping expanded production of new Boeing 737 Max aircraft to ensure accountability and full compliance with required quality control procedures
• Launching an investigation scrutinizing Boeing’s compliance with manufacturing requirements. The FAA will use the full extent of its enforcement authority to ensure the company is held accountable for any non-compliance.
• Aggressively expanding oversight of new aircraft with increased floor presence at all Boeing facilities
• Closely monitoring data to identify risk
• Launching an analysis of potential safety-focused reforms around quality control and delegation

The agency will continue to work closely with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as it continues the investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. One of the key questions to be answered is if the bolts that are designed to hold the door plug in place were installed correctly, if at all, at the time of the accident.

• READ MORE: NTSB Identifies Part That Failed on 737 Max 9

FAA Waiting for Boeing Safety Review

In early 2023, the agency convened 24 experts to review Boeing’s safety management processes with an eye toward how they affect the aircraft manufacturing giant’s safety culture.

Per the FAA statement, “the review panel included representatives from NASA, the FAA, labor unions, independent engineering experts, air carriers, manufacturers with delegated authority, legal experts and others.”

The panel reviewed thousands of documents and interviewed more than 250 Boeing employees, managers, and executives, Boeing supplier employees, and FAA employees, and visited several Boeing sites as well as Spirit AeroSystems’ facility in Wichita, Kansas.

The report is expected to be released in a few weeks. The FAA will be using the information to determine if additional action is required.

In response to the FAA, Boeing released a statement: “We will continue to cooperate fully and transparently with the FAA and follow their direction as we take action to strengthen safety and quality at Boeing. We will also work closely with our airline customers as they complete the required inspection procedures to safely return their 737-9 airplanes to service.”

• READ MORE: Boeing to Shut Down Facility for a Day

In addition, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) announced she will conduct congressional hearings to investigate the alleged “safety lapses” that may have led to the loss of the door plug from the ill-fated flight.

“[The public and workers deserve] a culture of leadership at Boeing that puts safety ahead of profits,” Cantwell said.

Airlines Reply

According to aviation data provider Cirium.com, there are approximately 215 Max 9 aircraft in use around the world. Of those, 79 belong to United Airlines and 65 to Alaska Airlines. Both airlines experienced flight cancellations and delays following the FAA’s grounding of the jets.

During the grounding the airlines complied with an FAA mandate to inspect their fleets of Max 9s, and the data collected from these inspections has been evaluated by the agency and used to develop its orders for final inspection of the aircraft, which is required to return them to airworthy status.

• READ MORE: United Airlines Says It’s Disappointed in Boeing

In a statement, Alaska Airlines noted “each of our aircraft will only return to service once the rigorous inspections are completed and each aircraft is deemed airworthy, according to the FAA requirements. We have 65 737-9 Max in our fleet. The inspections are expected to take up to 12 hours for each plane.”

Alaska Airlines predicts the first of the Max 9s will resume flying on Friday, “with more planes added every day as inspections are completed and each aircraft is deemed airworthy.”

Toby Enqvist, United’s executive vice president and chief operations officer, said the airline began inspection of its Max 9 fleet on January 12. In a message to United employees, Enqvist outlined the process, which includes removing the inner panel, two rows of seats, and the sidewall liner, enabling workers to access the doors and “inspect and verify the proper installation of the door and frame hardware, as well as the area around the door and seal.”

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United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 after a door plug blew out on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 earlier this month represents the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back.”

United has 79 of the Max 9s in its fleet, which is more than any other airline. During an interview on CNBC, Kirby expressed frustration at the progress of the 737 Max 10, which has been delayed several years due to FAA certification challenges and quality-control issues. Kirby noted that United is looking at options beyond using the Boeing 737 Max 10 since the airliner is still several years away from certification. In 2018 Kirby, then president at United, noted the company had placed orders for 100 Max 10s and expected to have them in the air by 2020. That obviously didn’t happen for a variety of reasons, the first of which were two deadly accidents.

In 2018, one 737 Max 8 went down in Indonesia, the other in Ethiopia, killing a total of 346 people. This resulted in a global grounding of the 737 Max while Boeing, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and FAA conducted investigations. 

Approximately two years later, the authorities released their final report, blaming the accidents on the 737 Max’s maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS).

A congressional investigation attributed both crashes to the “plane-maker’s unwillingness to share technical details.” Changes were made to the MCAS software, and new training protocols were developed. The aircraft returned to service in November 2020.

As reported by FLYING in October 2022, Boeing had to achieve regulatory approval for the Max 10 no later than December 2022 in order to meet its delivery deadlines. The deadline was not met, and industry officials note it is likely still years away.

In the meantime, Kirby said that the airline will consider alternatives to the Boeing product, as the issues are creating significant delays. Kirby told CNBC that United was “going to at least build a plan that doesn’t have the Max 10 in it” but did not specifically mention the alternative. The only other global manufacturer of large jets is Airbus.

FLYING reached out to Boeing for a response. Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, responded with a prepared statement: “We have let down our airline customers and are deeply sorry for the significant disruption to them, their employees, and their passengers. We are taking action on a comprehensive plan to bring these airplanes safely back to service and to improve our quality and delivery performance. We will follow the lead of the FAA and support our customers every step of the way.”

In a January 15 message to employees, Deal announced a list of immediate actions to address concerns over Boeing quality that included adding additional inspections throughout the build process at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, the Wichita, Kansas-based manufacturer that builds the fuselages for Boeing aircraft.

Additionally, Boeing has named retired Admiral Kirkland Donald to “lead an in-depth assessment of Boeing Commercial quality management system.” According to a statement from Boeing, “…Donald and a team of outside experts will conduct a thorough assessment of Boeing’s quality management system for commercial airplanes, including quality programs and practices in Boeing manufacturing facilities and its oversight of commercial supplier quality. His recommendations will be provided to [Boeing CEO Dave] Calhoun and to the Aerospace Safety Committee of Boeing’s board of directors.”

Donald spent 37 years in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear submarine officer. His last Navy assignment was as director of the service’s nuclear propulsion program, helping to ensure the safe and effective operation of all nuclear-powered warships and supporting infrastructure.

“The [Navy] program is recognized worldwide for excellence in reactor safety and reliability,” the statement said.

Donald currently serves as chairman of the board for Huntington Ingalls Industries, the largest military shipbuilding company in the United States.

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According to data from FAPA – a pilot career advisory group that’s been tracking hiring trends across 13 major U.S. airlines for over 30 years – United hired 270 pilots in October 2023, the carrier’s highest amount of new hires in a single month. This boils down to nearly 70 new hires each week.

Last year, the airline hired 2,500 pilots, making 2022 a record-setting year for new aviators on United’s property. The 270 new hires in October bring United’s total to 2,296 new pilots so far this year.

In a statement, United told AirlineGeeks that October 2023 was one of the biggest months for pilot hiring in its history.

“In support of our United Next plan, we set out to hire 2,300 pilots this year alone and are on track to exceed that total. We hired over 260 new pilots in October, which is one of [our] highest months ever, and are already working on filling new hire pilot classes in early 2024,” a spokesperson for the airline said.

Trending Above Other Airlines

Across the board, major U.S. airline pilot hiring trended down slightly in September and October 2023. Ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit announced it would be halting all pilot hiring indefinitely. Even for pilots already on their properties, FedEx and UPS management recently told pilots to look for jobs at regional airlines.

So far in 2023, United has been hiring an average of 227 new pilots each month, the highest of any airline in FAPA’s data. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is a close second at 224 new hires.

With the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on pilot training throughput, airlines have been forced to think a bit outside the box to attract and retain new aviators. United has been trying to weather this storm with its Aviate Academy in Arizona.

According to The Denver Post, the airline has also made a $100 million investment to expand its pilot training center in Denver, Colo., which is the largest of its kind worldwide. In addition, some of the carrier’s new hires can bid for higher-paying Boeing 777 and 787 first officer positions after completing initial training.

Not Out of the Woods

Even with a record number of first officers entering its ranks, United and its peers still aren’t out of the woods just yet. A broader pilot shortage has pivoted to a captain shortage where retaining pilots in the left seat has become increasingly more challenging.

United CEO Scott Kirby acknowledged the issues surrounding captain hiring in the company’s Q2 2023 earnings call according to Reuters. “It’s the first time that I’ve ever known it to happen in the airline industry,” he said. “It is going to impact capacity in the fourth quarter.”

Regional carriers can hire so-called ‘direct entry captains’ with the right number of hours. Mainline airlines are restricted to hiring only first officers, but upgrade times to the left seat have become increasingly shorter in recent years. A January 2023 report in Aero Crew News showed that some Delta first officers could move to the left seat in as little as 4.5 months.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post United Doubles Down on Pilot Hiring, Sets New Record appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On Thursday at the Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates, Archer signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Emirati private heliport operator Air Chateau International for the planned purchase of 100 Midnight electric air taxis, which the latter plans to own and operate regionwide. Archer estimated the value of the deal at around $500 million.

The MOU calls for Air Chateau to make an initial nonrefundable, predelivery payment of $1 million before year’s end, while an additional $4 million is “contemplated to be paid following signing,” Archer said. The partners in the coming months will work to finalize a definitive purchase agreement.

Air Chateau’s last-mile helicopter service—which offers corporate, tourism, and bespoke flights between airports, cities, and local attractions—is targeted at “ultra-high net worth individuals.” The company’s website does not specify pricing. But it’s safe to say Midnight will mostly ferry around wealthy clients, at least through this partnership.

“We stand at the precipice of realizing our vision for the future of urban air mobility [UAM] with eVTOLs in Dubai and across the UAE,” said Samir Mohamed, chairman and founder of Air Chateau. “We are very grateful for having the opportunity to pave the way for the future of Air Mobility in Dubai with Archer.”

Archer’s flagship Midnight—a four-passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design—should fit neatly into Air Chateau’s operations, which are largely based out of heliports. The air taxi can fly at up to 130 knots, in line with the typical cruise speed of a helicopter. 

But it comes with the added benefit of a low noise footprint—Archer has claimed Midnight is 1,000 times quieter than a helicopter while remaining cost-competitive with ground-based rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft. The vision is for it to ferry passengers on back-to-back, 10- to 20-minute flights in urban hubs, charging for as little as 12 minutes between trips.

Should the deal move forward, Air Chateau would become the third commercial customer—in addition to the U.S. Air Force, which ordered up to six units as part of a $142 million contract agreed in July—to sign prepurchase agreements for Midnight aircraft. 

The first, and largest, is United Airlines and its billion-dollar provisional deal for up to 200 air taxis, with the option to buy another $500 million worth of aircraft. Last year, the airline placed a $10 million prepayment for half of them.

Earlier this month, Archer planned the sale of 200 more aircraft to a second customer, travel conglomerate InterGlobe. The Indian firm expects to fly them on short-hop air taxi flights nationwide, starting with the cities of Mumbai and Bengaluru and the Delhi capital region, in 2026.

Now, Archer is hoping to achieve a similar operation in the UAE.

“It was an honor hosting Air Chateau’s team at the Dubai Airshow 2023, during which they were able to touch, see and feel our aircraft as it headlined the show,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer. “Their recognition that our Midnight aircraft meets what the customer demands in the UAE market and desire to secure the purchase of up to 100 Midnight aircraft is another exciting validation of our efforts to bring to market an aircraft that will revolutionize how people move in and around cities.”

Archer’s latest partnership comes exactly one month after it announced plans to launch electric air taxi services across the UAE in 2026, beginning with Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO).

The manufacturer said Thursday’s agreement is meant to strengthen those plans, adding that it and Air Chateau will explore infrastructure investments—such as for vertiports or electric aircraft chargers—to prepare those cities for (vertical) takeoff.

Through its partnership with the ADIO, Archer plans to build an engineering “Center of Excellence” in Abu Dhabi’s Sustainable and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster, which it says will help make advanced air mobility (AAM) services a reality in the UAE and Middle East. Joby Aviation, one of Archer’s key competitors in the U.S., is also a participant in SAVI.

The Midnight manufacturer also intends to work with the city’s manufacturers and MRO providers to lead eVTOL aircraft production in the region. The firm is collaborating with Stellantis—with which it signed an exclusive manufacturing partnership in January—and local partners to build both the engineering hub and a manufacturing plant.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares last month said the automaker hopes Archer’s U.S. manufacturing plant in Covington, Georgia—which it is helping to build—can serve as a “blueprint” for facilities internationally, starting with the Middle East.

Unlike Joby, Archer does not plan to operate Midnight air taxi routes itself, but it signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi’s Falcon Aviation to facilitate its services in the UAE. United’s regional partner airline, Mesa Air, will fill that role in the U.S.

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After receiving a special airworthiness certificate from the FAA to begin testing the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design in August, a noncomforming Midnight prototype has completed its inaugural test flight.

The five-seat aircraft—the first Midnight prototype to be rolled off the manufacturer’s Palo Alto, California, production line in May—made an uncrewed, untethered hover flight on Tuesday, marking the next phase of Archer’s flight test regimen. 

Following uncrewed flights, the firm will move to piloted “for-credit” testing with the FAA, using a type-conforming Midnight model. That campaign is considered one of the final steps in eVTOL type certification. Archer expects for-credit testing to begin in early 2024.

Midnight’s first flight follows four years of testing with earlier prototypes, including two years spent evaluating a pair of Maker aircraft. Maker is the company’s two-seat, 80-percent-scale version of Midnight, which it uses as a technology demonstrator.

“This next phase of Archer’s flight test program is only possible because of the four years of flight testing we’ve done,” said Adam Goldstein, the firm’s founder and CEO. “Midnight is building on the successes of its predecessor aircraft and represents another significant step forward in Archer’s path to commercialization. The next year and a half will be focused on continuing to rapidly advance our flight test program and Archer’s electric air taxi operations.”

Archer said uncrewed Midnight flight testing will “progress rapidly” over the coming months, quickly advancing from simple hover maneuvers to transitions between vertical lift and full wing-borne cruise.

Simultaneously, the manufacturer plans to continue its Maker flight test program, flying simulated commercial routes to prepare for the launch of commercial operations. That’s scheduled for 2025 after Midnight obtains type certification and other FAA-required approvals.

“Having taken seven full-size eVTOL aircraft from design to flight test during my career in the eVTOL industry, [Tuesday’s] milestone with Midnight marks the most significant flight to date, bringing Archer and the eVTOL industry another step closer to bringing a scalable and commercially viable aircraft to market,” said Archer chief operating officer Tom Muniz, who previously served as vice president of engineering for Kitty Hawk and its eVTOL manufacturing spinoff, Wisk Aero.

Archer expects Midnight to fly in U.S. markets such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and the New York City metro area in partnership with United Airlines, which in 2021 invested in the manufacturer. The airline placed an order for 100 aircraft valued at $1 billion, with an option for $500 million worth of additional units. It made an initial $10 million prepayment to Archer in August 2022.

Midnight can carry a pilot and up to four passengers (or 1,000 pounds of cargo) as far as 100 sm (87 nm) at a cruise speed of 130 knots. But the air taxi is optimized for back-to-back, short-hop flights with about 12 minutes of downtime in between, which will be used to charge the aircraft.

By Archer’s estimate, 20 to 50 sm (17 to 43 nm) trips that would normally take up to an hour and a half by car will be replaced by 10- to 20-minute flights. Because Midnight will have such little downtime—and will be cheaper to produce than its competitors, the company claims—Archer believes its air taxi routes will be cost-competitive with ground-based rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft.

Midnight’s 12 electric engines run on six lithium-ion battery packs from Taiwanese manufacturer Molicel, powering a dozen propellers. The tiltrotor design positions six of them on each side of the aircraft’s fixed wings—the front props tilt forward during cruise to provide added thrust, while the back props lock in place. Archer says the propulsion system allows Midnight to produce 45 dB less noise than a helicopter while at cruising altitude.

The manufacturer’s agreement with Molicel is one of many it leverages to source parts and systems for Midnight, which allows it to funnel more time and money into aircraft performance, certification, and operational readiness. The design incorporates avionics from Safran and Garmin and actuators from Honeywell.

Archer also has a battery development and sourcing collaboration with automaker Stellantis, with which it signed an exclusive mass production partnership in January.

What It Means

Even with Midnight’s inaugural flight, Archer will need to complete plenty of additional testing before obtaining type certification. But the milestone adds to the manufacturer’s recent momentum and should help it stay on track.

Stellantis is now working with Archer to build what the firm described as the “world’s largest” eVTOL production plant in Covington, Georgia. Construction on the facility began in March. Phase one of the site is expected to be completed by 2024 and will span 350,000 square feet, allowing Archer to churn out 650 aircraft per year.

Earlier this month, Archer closed a financing agreement with Synovus Bank, securing $65 million in fresh capital. The funding will cover the “substantial majority” of phase one construction costs, adding to incentives from the state of Georgia and $150 million worth of equity capital from Stellantis, which the company will be able to draw from as needed throughout this year and next.

In the future, phase two of construction could expand the site to 900,000 square feet, giving it enough juice to produce up to 2,000 Midnight models per year.

Archer’s main U.S. competitor, Joby Aviation, announced the location of its own scaled manufacturing plant last month. The firm’s facility at Dayton International Airport (KDAY) is initially expected to produce 500 air taxis annually, with the potential for more down the line. Recently, Joby began crewed flight testing of its production prototype with a pilot on board.

But neither company will be able to ramp up manufacturing until they obtain FAA production certification, which will follow type approval. Having received the first eVTOL airworthiness criteria from the agency at the end of 2022, Archer and Joby are two of the furthest along in that process among U.S. electric air taxi manufacturers.

Following the start of Midnight flight testing, Archer anticipates it will deliver the first of six aircraft to the U.S. Air Force as early as this year. The shipments are part of its lucrative contracts with AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm, which explores defense applications for emerging aircraft designs and seeks to accelerate their commercial deployment.

The agreement, worth up to $142 million, is one of the largest defense contracts for an eVTOL manufacturer. Archer kicked off the execution phase earlier this month after receiving an initial $1 million deposit for a mobile flight simulator, which the Air Force will use to train pilots on Midnight’s systems. 

Once the aircraft arrives, pilots will deploy it for personnel transport, logistics support, rescue operations, and other missions. Other military branches will be able to leverage the contracts for additional projects. Archer has even hinted that it could one day develop a version of Midnight specifically for Air Force applications.

The partnership should give Archer valuable insights on Midnight’s performance, aiding its flight test campaign. Following FAA type, production, and airworthiness approvals, the manufacturer will also need to obtain a Part 135 air carrier certificate for powered-lift operations to begin flying as a commercial operator.

In addition to U.S. cities, the Middle East could launch Midnight’s earliest commercial flights. Archer recently announced a plan to establish air taxi routes across the United Arab Emirates in 2026, working with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.

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Archer on Wednesday closed financing and development agreements with Synovus Bank and Evans General Contractors, respectively, providing an influx of $65 million in fresh capital. Archer said the funding covers a “substantial majority” of costs associated with the construction of its first scaled manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia, which began in March.

Both partnerships were previously announced last November when Archer selected Covington for the plant’s location. The $65 million from Synovus adds to $150 million in equity capital provided by Stellantis, which the eVTOL manufacturer can draw from as needed this year and next. Archer and Stellantis announced an exclusive mass production partnership in January.

Incentives from the state of Georgia, also announced last November, round out Archer’s backing for the site, which it said will be “the world’s highest-volume eVTOL aircraft manufacturing facility.”

“We are committed long-term partners to the community in Covington, and we are thrilled to be working with companies who share our vision of having the world’s leading, state-of-the-art eVTOL manufacturing facility right here in the United States,” Archer CEO Adam Goldstein said in a statement.

“Phase 1” of the site’s construction will support the build-out of a 350,000-square-foot facility intended to produce up to 650 aircraft per year. 

EHang—which is expected to launch a commercial eVTOL air taxi service as early as this year and has already set up shop in China’s Guangdong province—is initially producing about 600 aircraft annually. The Chinese firm will likely be first to market, followed by Germany’s Volocopter, which plans to build just 50 VoloCity air taxis per year.

Lilium, another German competitor, is looking to churn out about 400 Lilium Jets per year. And not to be forgotten is Archer’s main U.S. rival, Joby Aviation, which announced the site of its own scaled manufacturing facility in September, settling on Dayton, Ohio. That plant is initially expected to produce 500 aircraft annually, with plans for more down the line.

Archer said Phase 1 of construction is “on target” to wrap up in 2024 ahead of entry into service for Midnight, the company’s production eVTOL design. Following that, “Phase 2” will provide the capacity to expand the facility to about 900,000 square feet, allowing it to churn out over 2,000 aircraft per year.

That figure is consistent with Archer’s 2022 projection. At the time, the company said it aims to produce 250 aircraft in 2025, doubling that in 2026 with the goal of reaching 650 by 2027.

“Consistent with our capital efficient strategy of getting to commercialization, we’ve achieved attractive terms on the project,” said Goldstein. “These agreements, along with our already strong partnership with Stellantis, give us the flexibility to ramp up our capacity and become the leading scale manufacturer of eVTOL aircraft in the world.”

Cheap Volume

While Archer emphasized the scale of its Covington facility, it also said it would be able to keep capital costs lower than those of its competitors.

It expects to do so by leveraging outside aerospace suppliers for the majority of Midnight’s aircraft components to achieve what it called a “capital efficient” process. So far, agreements include a battery development and sourcing collaboration with Stellantis, the delivery of avionics from Safran and Garmin, and the supply of actuators from Honeywell.

The build of the first Midnight aircraft was completed in May at the firm’s Palo Alto, California facility. In a few years, it could be ferrying passengers from the suburbs of Chicago to O’Hare International Airport (KORD) or from Manhattan to New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR).

The five-seat tiltrotor design, built for a pilot and four passengers, utilizes 12 propellers—six on the front wing that tilt forward during cruise and six on the aft wing that remain rigid. Powered by lithium-ion batteries, the aircraft’s propulsion system enables a range of about 52 sm (45 nm) at a cruising speed of 130 knots.

Archer’s vision for Midnight is to replace hour to hour-and-a-half commutes by car with estimated 10- to 20-minute flights. The company claims these will be safe, sustainable, low noise, and cost-competitive with rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft, aided by batteries that can charge in as little as 10 minutes between back-to-back, short-hop flights.

Construction of the mass production plant will be important moving forward. But Archer won’t be able to use the facility to its full potential until it obtains FAA type certification for Midnight, expected in late 2024. Production certification will follow, allowing the company to begin manufacturing its type-approved design at scale.

Aiding Archer’s efforts is a recent Air Force contract worth up to $142 million. The agreement will see AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm, deploy up to six Midnight aircraft to an unnamed air force base, where it will use them for personnel transport, logistics support, rescue operations, and more. The collaboration should also allow Archer to test the aircraft’s capabilities and assess the experience of eVTOL pilots.

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The development comes as the U.S. Air Force, long facing its own pilot shortfall, continues to grapple with how best to tempt pilots to stay in service, including $50,000 bonuses.

Under the United Military Pilot Program, military pilots don’t need an airline transport pilot certificate or flight-hour minimums when they apply, according to the airline. Pilots, however, will need to complete all required training and certification before flying for the airline. Nearly one out of every five pilots employed by United has served or currently serves in the U.S. armed forces, according to the airline.

“Launching this program is a win-win: Our airline gets direct access to some of the best, most talented aviators in the world, and military pilots—and their families—get the time they need to plan their civilian career while still serving,” United CEO Scott Kirby said in announcing the program late last week.

• READ MORE: Air Force Pilot-Training Numbers Come Up Short of Aspirations

Air Force Pilot Shortage

For the military, however, there’s no worse time for pilots to leave.

In April, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General David Allvin told Congress that in fiscal 2022 the service branch experienced a net loss of 250 pilots and was 1,900 pilots short of its 21,000 requirement goal.

“Robust airline hiring continues to draw away experienced pilots critical to producing, training, and developing new pilots,” Allvin said during his testimony to lawmakers. “The loss of experience will negatively impact production and retention because this loss is most prevalent in the field grade officer pilot year groups. To improve retention and production, we persistently consider and invest in several monetary and nonmonetary incentive programs to address our aircrew’s quality of life and service concerns.” 

Air Force Bonuses

The Air Force launched two bonus plans this year: the Legacy Aviation Bonus Program and the Rated Officer Retention Demonstration Program. Active-duty aviators eligible for the programs had until September 15 to apply.

The Legacy program offered bonuses up to $50,000 for certain groups of aviators, including traditional pilots, those operating remotely piloted aircraft, air battle managers, and combat systems officers in exchange for commitments to remain on active duty. The Demonstration program offered incentives of $50,000 a year for pilots with Undergraduate Flying Training (UFT) Active Duty Service Commitments (ADSC) expiring in fiscal years 2024 or 2025.

“The two programs target two distinct population sets,” an Air Force spokesperson told FLYING. “Select aviators are only eligible for one of the two programs. The Legacy program targets those whose initial Undergraduate Flying Training (UFT) [has] expired, while the Demo program targets those who are still serving their initial UFT ADSC.”

• READ MORE: Air Force Boosts Pilot Retention Bonuses

“Retaining our experienced aviators is key to succeeding in a war-fighting environment,” Brigadier General Kirsten Aguilar, Air Force force management policy director, said when the service announced the latter program in August. “The Demo program helps posture the Air Force to reliably retain aviators to meet current and future operational requirements.”

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