Have you ever been stuck in traffic on your way to an airport, and wished you could just fly above it all to race straight toward your flight? That futuristic vision may be a reality before long—and Southwest Airlines just signed up to help make it happen.

The Dallas-based carrier has signed a memorandum of understanding with California-based Archer Aviation, a maker of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Under the partnership, Southwest will develop plans for electric air taxi networks using Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft at California airports where Southwest operates.

Archer’s Midnight aircraft can carry four passengers and one pilot for a distance of up to 60 miles at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour using current battery technologies. Designed to transform urban travel, it can turn a trip that would take 60 to 90 minutes by car into short-hop electric air taxi flights of just 10 to 20 minutes.

Besides that traffic-hopping speed, the Midnight aims to meet other goals too, by offering “a safe, low-noise, cost-competitive transportation option with no direct emissions.”

‘Streamlining the door-to-door passenger journey’

Archer Aviation’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft parked on a tarmac. [Photo: Archer]

“Southwest is eager to explore the convenience Archer’s air taxis could provide Customers flying Southwest at airports in busy urban areas,” Paul Cullen, VP of real estate at Southwest Airlines, said in a statement. “We’ve proudly served as California’s largest carrier for nearly 25 years, and integrating Archer’s electric aircraft into the travel journey potentially gives us an innovative opportunity to enhance the experience of flying Southwest. We look forward to collaborating with Archer as we assess future commercial activities in California and other Southwest locations.”

With operations at 14 airports across California, Southwest is the largest air carrier in the state. The collaboration would include “partnering with Southwest employees and respective unions, including SWAPA, to maintain and improve efficient operations,” Southwest said, calling this “a key step toward potentially offering Southwest customers an airport transport service that saves time by streamlining the door-to-door passenger journey.”

Dee Dee Myers, senior advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom and director of the governor’s office of business and economic development, said the collaboration “showcases our state’s dedication to climate innovation and advanced technology.”

“This initiative is designed to help revolutionize clean transportation with zero-direct emission and affordable options, enhancing the passenger experience, and supporting California’s climate action goals,” she added in a statement.

Aiming to serve ‘the first and last miles’ of customers’ journeys

Archer Aviation’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft completed Phase 1 of its flight test program in January, and completed its first “transition flight” in June.[Photo: Archer]

Archer Aviation said that its Midnight eVTOL aircraft completed Phase 1 of its flight test program in January. Just last month, the Midnight completed its first “transition flight.” To achieve that milestone, an eVTOL aircraft must successfully tae off vertically like a helicopter, accelerate forward, transition from thrust-borne to wing-borne flight like an airplane with tilt propellers forward, all before decelerating and landing vertically.

“With Archer’s Midnight aircraft, passengers will be able to fly above traffic to get to the airport faster,” said Nikhil Goel, chief commercial officer at Archer. “By putting together Southwest’s impressive network of airports in California and their frequent intrastate flights with our planned network, Southwest customers could someday complete door-to-door trips like Santa Monica to Napa in less than three hours.”

The companies say the plan to collaborate “over the next few years as eVTOLs take flight.” By combining Archer’s electric aircraft and its planned “urban air mobility network” with Southwest’s flights, the partners aim to offer “an enhanced experience for the first and last miles of the customer travel journey.”

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