Archer Aviation announced on August 18, 2025, that its Midnight electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft had successfully completed its longest piloted flight to date, flying approximately 55 miles (88km) in 31 minutes at speeds exceeding 126 mph (202 km/h). The flight took place at Archer’s flight test facility in Salinas, California, and was attended by the Chief Financial Officer of United Airlines, Mike Leskinen, who led the carrier’s early investment in Archer.
Earlier, Archer revealed that test flights in the preceding week had reached speeds of nearly 150 mph (241 kph) over a variety of patterns. “This latest achievement marks another major milestone in Archer’s envelope expansion program as the company advances toward Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification in the US and near-term commercialization of the Midnight aircraft in the United Arab Emirates.”
The longest flight to date was conducted as a conventional take-off and landing mission. Four of Archer’s test pilots are now regularly conducting test flights in Midnight, underscoring the program’s continued progress and maturity.
“I was proud to be on the tarmac with the team for this flight,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s Founder and CEO. “Crossing the 50-mile mark at speed is another clear step toward commercialization that shows the maturity of our program.”
Meanwhile, Mike Leskinen, Executive Vice President and CFO of United, added, “I’ve been a longtime supporter of bringing sustainable forms of aviation to market. Congratulations to the Archer team on achieving this milestone flight. I was impressed by how quiet the aircraft was.”
The Experimental Test Pilot for this flight shared: “Throughout the thirty-minute flight, the aircraft performed consistently, with predictable handling. It was a beautiful day to be behind the controls.”
In July 2025, Archer Aviation conducted the first flight of its Midnight eVTOL aircraft in Abu Dhabi ahead of its eventual commercial launch in the UAE. On July 2, 2025, its aircraft, Midnight, completed the flight at Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI) as the eVTOL developer looks to build real-world data about UAE-specific conditions.
Through the UAE test flight series, Archer plans to expose Midnight to conditions such as high temperatures, humidity, and dust in advance of its commercial deployment in the UAE and the Middle East. Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA) will be Archer’s first Launch Edition customer, with plans to deploy an initial fleet of Midnight aircraft beginning later this year.
According to Archer Aviation, Midnight flight test pilots will continue to expand speed and duration endurances of the Midnight through more testing and develop test mission profiles that map to early commercial operations. “This milestone follows a series of key developments in Archer’s commercialization roadmap, including the continuation of its manufacturing ramp throughout the U.S. and the activation of its Launch Edition program in the UAE,” concluded the company’s statement.