Archer Aviation and Formula 1 have entered a multi-year partnership that will put Archer at select Grands Prix in commercial markets the company plans to serve across the United States, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, according to Archer’s announcement on Business Wire on November 12.
The partners also plan to explore adding eVTOL air taxi service to race weekends, with the aim of flying VIPs and fans to and from circuits in minutes aboard Archer’s Midnight aircraft. Ideas under study include dedicated drop-off and pick-up points at the tracks and folding air taxi trips into Formula 1 hospitality and ticketing. As Archer’s commercial operations come online in Formula 1 markets, the stated goal is to give fans a way to skip traffic between major airports, business hubs and other key destinations on their way to and from events.
Archer says its planned U.S. air taxi networks already line up with race locations including Miami and Texas, where it has outlined planned infrastructure. Its commercial rollout plans in the Middle East, Asia and Europe are described as a foundation for service in additional race cities later. Midnight was on display for fans at the United States Grand Prix in Austin as an Official Supporter of Formula 1, and the company says the aircraft will be shown again at the Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix later this year.
“Innovation is at the heart of Formula 1, and Archer shares our passion for pushing boundaries and exploring what is possible,” said Emily Prazer, Formula 1’s chief commercial officer, in the announcement. Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said Formula 1’s worldwide audience of 830 million fans is a pool of prospective passengers “who are as obsessed with high-performance vehicles as we are.”
The announcement is a plan to explore services, not a launch date. Any flights at Grands Prix would depend on Archer bringing commercial operations online in those markets.
More Info:
Archer Aviation (Official website): click here
Formula 1 (Official website): click here
Archer Partners with Formula 1: click here