Archer Aviation partners with Etihad Training for eVTOL pilot training

The partnership is in coordination with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), and other local partners, including Falcon Aviation and Air Chateau.

Together, Archer and Etihad Training intend to engage with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and other local authorities to establish an appropriate pilot training curriculum in the UAE to enable safe and efficient Archer eVTOL operations as soon as 2025.

Etihad Training will recruit and train prospective pilots for Archer’s Midnight aircraft in Abu Dhabi to fly aircraft across the UAE. The MOU was announced at the start of the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Archer is showcasing its Midnight aircraft for the first time in the country.

“Training a fleet of pilots to operate our aircraft is a critically important part of our efforts to establish a thriving urban air mobility network in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE, and Etihad Training is the premier organisation to partner with on this front,” said Archer’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nikhil Goel. “As Etihad Training’s first eVTOL partner, we will commence a thoughtful recruiting process and begin to train the first class of qualified pilots to operate Archer’s Midnight aircraft for commercial operations within the region.”

Etihad Training’s CEO, Captain Paolo La Cava, said: “Etihad Aviation Training today recruits and trains pilots to fly with dozens of global airlines. We couldn’t be more excited to choose Archer as our first eVTOL partner to recruit and train the first class of electric air taxi pilots to fly Archer’s Midnight aircraft right here in Abu Dhabi as soon as 2025. We look forward to installing the Archer Midnight flight simulator in our facilities later this year.”

As part of the planned partnership, Archer intends to deliver a Midnight aircraft simulator to be housed and staffed by Etihad Training at its training centre in Abu Dhabi for research and development of pilot training competencies, to support the required regulatory certifications. Etihad Training will provide local guidance and expertise as they further engage with the GCAA and other local authorities to establish appropriate pilot training requirements in the UAE all in support of safe and efficient operations of Archer’s aircraft.