Archer Aviation and ITA Airways are teaming up to develop an electric vehicle takeoff and landing (eVTOL) network, linking major cities across Italy.
On October 30, 2026, the eVTOL developer and Lufthansa Group carrier confirmed that they had signed an agreement to partner on exploring the potential for an air taxi transport system.
Archer Aviation projects that its Midnight eVTOL could replace 60 to 90 minutes drives with all-electric flights of 10 to 20 minutes, enabling passengers at Fiumicino Airport (FCO) to reach Rome’s city center in less than 10 minutes.
“This agreement with Archer represents an important step in assessing how electric air taxi services could complement our network and enhance connections between airports, city centers and other strategic destinations,” Joerg Eberhart, CEO and General Manager of ITA Airways, said.
According to Eberhart, together the airline and Archer will explore “different solutions to identify the best possible product for our customers”.
“By fostering an integrated, seamless and more sustainable travel experience, we want to help shape the future of mobility in Italy and offer our customers an increasingly efficient journey from origin to destination,” Eberhart added.
In seeking to bring together relevant expertise and stakeholders, ITA Airways will try to create the conditions for new solutions to complement existing transport options, improving airport and urban connectivity.
Its focus will be on enabling an integrated customer journey and connecting the new service with its network, working alongside the specialized partners responsible for its operation.
Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer, said: “Italy is one of the most visited countries on Earth: Rome Fiumicino crossed 50 million passengers last year for the first time in its history. Every one of those travelers deserves the option to skip an hour in traffic with a 10-minute, all-electric flight. Italy has the regulatory leadership, the infrastructure, and now the airline partner to make air taxis a reality, and I’m proud to be taking this step with ITA Airways and the Lufthansa Group to bring the future of electric aviation to Europe.”
With the agreement now signed, ITA Airways has become the first European carrier to join Archer’s global network of airline partners, extending its commercialization strategy already underway in the US and the UAE.