Southwest Airlines & Archer Aviation to Develop Operational Concepts for Electric Air Taxi Network

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Southwest Airways Co. (NYSE: LUV) and Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop operational plans for electrical air taxi networks using Archer’s eVTOL plane at California airports the place Southwest^® operates. Archer Aviation is a number one producer of electrical vertical takeoff and touchdown (eVTOL) plane.

Southwest is the Golden State’s largest air service, working at 14 airports throughout the state. Archer Midnight plane is designed to remodel city journey, changing 60-to-90-minute commutes by automotive with estimated 10-to-20-minute electrical air taxi flights. The purpose of Archer’s plane is to supply a protected, low-noise, cost-competitive transportation choice with no direct emissions.

Southwest and Archer intend to collaborate on an idea of operations that lays the muse for built-in electrical air taxi networks that might help California airports and the encircling communities that Southwest serves. This collaboration will embody partnering with Southwest staff and respective unions, together with SWAPA, to take care of and enhance environment friendly operations. It is a key step towards probably providing Southwest clients an airport transport service that saves time by streamlining the door-to-door passenger journey.

“Southwest is raring to discover the comfort Archer’s air taxis may present Prospects flying Southwest at airports in busy city areas,” mentioned Paul Cullen, Vice President Actual Property at Southwest Airways. “We’ve proudly served as California’s largest service for almost 25 years, and integrating Archer’s electrical plane into the journey journey probably offers us an progressive alternative to reinforce the expertise of flying Southwest. We sit up for collaborating with Archer as we assess future industrial actions in California and different Southwest places.”

“Archer’s collaboration with Southwest to introduce air taxis in California showcases our state’s dedication to local weather innovation and superior know-how,” mentioned Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom and Director of the Governor’s Workplace of Enterprise and Financial Growth. “This initiative is designed to assist revolutionize clear transportation with zero-direct emission and inexpensive choices, enhancing the passenger expertise, and supporting California’s local weather motion targets.”

“With Archer’s Midnight plane, passengers will have the ability to fly above site visitors to get to the airport quicker,” mentioned Nikhil Goel, Chief Industrial Officer at Archer. “By placing collectively Southwest’s spectacular community of airports in California and their frequent intrastate flights with our deliberate community, Southwest clients may sometime full door-to-door journeys like Santa Monica to Napa in lower than three hours.”

Archer and Southwest plan to collaborate over the following few years as eVTOLs take flight. Combining Archer’s plane and deliberate city air mobility community with Southwest flights may provide an enhanced expertise for the primary and final miles of the shopper journey journey.

ABOUT ARCHER

Archer is a frontrunner within the electrification of aviation. The corporate is designing and growing the important thing enabling applied sciences and plane which might be essential to energy the following nice transportation revolution. Archer’s purpose is for its proprietary know-how to ship unprecedented connectivity to the folks and locations throughout essentially the most congested cities on the planet. To be taught extra, go to www.archer.com.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

Southwest Airways Co. operates one of many world’s most admired and awarded airways, providing its one-of-a-kind worth and Hospitality at 121 airports ¹ throughout 11 nations. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky by way of pleasant, dependable, and low-cost air journey and now carries extra air vacationers flying nonstop inside the USA than another airline ² . Based mostly in Dallas and well-known for an Worker-first company Tradition, Southwest maintains an unprecedented report of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its historical past. By empowering its greater than 74,000 ³ Individuals to ship unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty amongst greater than 137 million Prospects carried in 2023. That components for achievement introduced industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years ⁴ of profitability for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV). Southwest leverages a novel legacy and mission to serve communities all over the world together with harnessing the ability of its Individuals and Function to place communities on the Coronary heart of its success. Be taught extra by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship. Because the airline with Coronary heart, Southwest has set a purpose to work towards reaching web zero carbon emissions by 2050⁵. Southwest has additionally set near-term targets and a three-pillar technique to realize its environmental targets. Be taught extra by visiting Southwest.com/planet.

¹Efficient Aug. 5, 2024, the airline will serve 117 airports.