Jan 21 (Reuters) – Archer Aviation said on Wednesday it had partnered with Serbia as the country’s preferred electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft partner, in a move to expand into global markets.
As per the agreement, signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Serbia has the option to purchase an initial fleet of Archer’s Midnight aircraft and will buy up to 25 aircraft.
“It’s a positive for Archer to add to its aircraft order book with an option order, but a more meaningful positive would be them demonstrating the full flight envelope for their Midnight aircraft,” said Needham analyst Chris Pierce.
Electric air taxi makers are ramping up their expansion efforts amid growing demand for a faster, more sustainable urban transportation method.
Archer’s move comes as it builds on public-private partnerships to launch its aircraft in international markets, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, India, Japan and South Korea.
The company will be the official air taxi partner for EXPO 2027 Belgrade. The event, scheduled to take place from May through August 2027, is expected to showcase next-generation transportation and the benefits of advanced air mobility.
Last year, Archer was named official air-taxi provider of Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Archer also added that it had entered into a dialogue with the Serbian government to explore further development work on industrialization, including rare-earth magnets and critical minerals for batteries.
(Reporting by Anshuman Tripathy in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
