Archer Aviation announced that its Midnight eVTOL has finished a full in‑country flight‑test campaign in the United Arab Emirates, demonstrating the aircraft’s complete flight envelope from vertical take‑off through transition to wingborne flight over desert terrain. The tests were conducted in the UAE’s high‑temperature environment, confirming the aircraft’s design intent to operate reliably in hot, sandy conditions.
The campaign validated key performance metrics, including sustained vertical lift, smooth transition to forward flight, and stable cruise over the desert. The 12‑tilt‑6 configuration performed as expected, and the data collected will feed directly into Archer’s FAA type‑certification dossier and the company’s commercial deployment plans.
The successful tests are a critical step for the Launch Edition program, the first commercial deployment of Midnight in Abu Dhabi. Under the program, Archer has begun receiving payments from Abu Dhabi Aviation, providing early revenue and operational experience that will accelerate the company’s path to full commercial service. The partnership also strengthens Archer’s regulatory relationship with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority and Integrated Transport Centre, positioning the company for a smoother certification process in the United States.
Financially, Archer reported a Q3 loss of $0.20 per share, an improvement from the $0.29 loss recorded in the same quarter a year earlier. The company’s cash position remains robust, with $595.5 million in cash and cash equivalents and $1.045 billion in short‑term investments as of the end of Q3 2025. Management has projected a Q4 loss of $110 million to $140 million, reflecting continued investment in research, development, and certification activities. The company’s guidance indicates confidence in maintaining its cash runway while pursuing the next milestones in the certification and commercialization timeline.
In the broader eVTOL market, Archer competes with firms such as Joby Aviation, Lilium, and Volocopter. Joby is reported to be roughly a year ahead in the FAA certification process, but Archer’s partnership with Abu Dhabi Aviation and its early‑adopter Launch Edition program give it a unique commercial foothold in a high‑growth market. The company’s strategy of building a repeatable deployment model in Abu Dhabi is designed to generate early revenue streams and operational data that can be leveraged for future markets, including the United States.
The announcement was well received by investors and analysts, who highlighted the milestone as evidence of Archer’s progress toward commercial operations and regulatory approval. Analysts noted the company’s strong cash position and the early revenue from the Launch Edition program as positive indicators of financial resilience and market potential. The event also reinforced confidence in Archer’s ability to navigate the complex certification landscape while building a scalable commercial model.
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