10-Minute ‘Flying Taxi’ Route Between Newark, NYC Is In The Works

NEWARK, NJ — Need to get from downtown Manhattan to Newark Airport in a hurry? Soon, you may be able to skip the drive and take an “electric flying taxi” instead, according to United Airlines and Archer Aviation.

The companies recently announced plans to launch a 10-minute “airport to city center” route between United’s hub at Newark Airport and the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, located above Battery Park on Pier 6 in New York City. The trip can take as much as an hour or more during rush hour traffic between New Jersey and New York.

The route is part of Archer’s broader plan to launch an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) network across the New York Metropolitan Area. It will make use of the company’s all-electric, four-passenger Midnight aircraft, which Archer is billing as a “low noise, sustainable and safe alternative to helicopters” (see the video below).

As of earlier this month, the aircraft hadn’t been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, Aerospace America reported.

The announcement marks the first specific route that has been announced in the electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL) industry, Archer said.

There are plans to expand to future routes nearby, the company added:

“Archer’s early launch routes will provide airport to city center transportation service, which it refers to as ‘trunk’ routes. Once these primary trunk routes have been established, Archer will begin building out ‘branch’ routes to connect to surrounding communities. The first phase of this UAM network is targeted for launch in 2025.”

“Once operational, electric air taxis will fundamentally change how United customers experience comfort, convenience and efficiency during their commutes to the airport,” said Michael Leskinen, president of United Airlines Ventures.

“Archer’s New York to Newark route marks another important benchmark towards providing a carbon-neutral and safe commute that drastically reduces the travel time and produces a fraction of the sound emitted by helicopters,” Leskinen said.

FLYING TAXIS AND UNITED AIRLINES

Last year, United became the first major U.S. airline to create a corporate venture fund, United Airlines Ventures (UAV), designed to support the company's “100 percent green commitment” to reach net zero emissions by 2050 without the use of traditional offsets.

Through the UAV, United has launched investments in eVTOL and electric aircraft, hydrogen fuel cell engines and sustainable aviation fuel.

United’s partnership with Archer comes just two months after the airline trumpeted another deal involving “electric flying taxis” with Eve Air Mobility.

In September, United announced that it is investing $15 million in Eve Air Mobility with a conditional purchase agreement for 200 four-seat electric aircraft, plus an option to buy 200 more. The first deliveries of the cutting-edge vehicles may come as early as 2026, the company said. Read More: United Airlines Is Building A Fleet Of Electric Flying Taxis

That’s not the only deal United has made with electric aircraft manufacturers. Last year, United gave a $10 million deposit to California-based Heart Aerospace for 100 of its ES-19 aircraft. Read More: Electric Airplane Fleet By 2026? That's The Goal, United Says

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