Flying over city traffic: How exactly can you travel between Delhi and Gurugram in 7 minutes?

Flying over city traffic: How exactly can you travel between Delhi and Gurugram in 7 minutes?

You may have wished for something while navigating through heavy traffic, and now it is a promise for 2026- Delhi to Gurugram in 7 minutes. This promise is a result of a partnership between the parent company of India’s largest airline and an American firm, supported by aircraft giant Boeing, specializing in manufacturing five-seater aircraft.

Archer, a company based in California, has named its taxi-plane as e-VTOL, which stands for electrical vertical takeoff and landing.

InterGlobe Enterprises, the owner of IndiGo, and Archer have announced their plans to introduce flying taxi services connecting Delhi and Gurugram, Bengaluru city and its international airport, and Bandra and Colaba in Mumbai.

The Rise of “Midnight”

Initial plans suggest it’ll be expensive, but not that much, and worth it because of the time saved.

Archer’s Indian-origin CCO Nikhil Goel describes the cost per passenger of using this service as likely to be just a “slight premium’ over Uber. “Delhi-Gurgaon, for instance, costs Rs 1,500-2,000 by Uber. An air taxi (per passenger) will cost up to 1.5 times of that or Rs 2,000-3,000,” he said.

The fares for Uber and other aggregators are variable and based on demand. The fare for a trip from Gurgaon to Delhi could be less than Rs 1,000 if one avoids traveling during peak hours.

The e-VTOL Interglobe has selected is Archer’s 12-rotor “Midnight’, which can seat a pilot and four passengers and fit in some luggage. The identical model has been chosen by American carrier United, a supporter of Archer, which has finalized two routes for launch next year – from its Newark hub to downtown Manhattan, and from Chicago O’Hare to the city center. The UAE intends to utilize it for transportation between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The approvals from the United States are awaited.

Federal Aviation Administration approval needed for operating such services in the US – like a green light from DGCA in India – is yet to come but Archer expects it this year. After commencing operations in the US, the next destinations for e-VTOL will be India and the UAE, pending government approvals. Trial flights will be conducted here with the permission of DGCA before the commercial launch.

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Delhi-NCR, where Interglobe is headquartered in Gurgaon, is expected to be the initial location in India to receive an air taxi service. Apart from Mumbai and Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai are the other cities included in the planned air taxi route.

Goel said, “We are delighted to work with Rahul (Bhatia, IndiGo founder and Interglobe head) and the entire Interglobe team to launch electric air taxis. Interglobe is recognized as a top leader in aviation and hospitality globally, and we are extremely proud of our partnership. We have undertaken multiple visits to India to engage with important regulatory, government, and industry figures in order to expedite our advancements in the region.

The Interglobe and Archer deal

The parent company of IndiGo has agreed to purchase 200 Midnight e-VTOLs in a deal valued at $1 billion. IndiGo and Archer plan to collaborate on constructing vertiports, which will include charging facilities, and training pilots. While inking this deal last Nov, Bhatia had said, “We are excited at this new opportunity of bringing an effective, futuristic and sustainable transport solution by introducing Archer’s electric aircraft to India.”

Archer is starting production of Midnight at its Georgia factory this year. Archer is collaborating with auto major Stellantis to manufacture air taxis in various locations, including India. Archer’s primary investors include United, which, in addition to an equity investment, has ordered 200 eVTOLs with an option for 100 more. Boeing is assisting with the technology, while Stellantis, a firm based in Amsterdam formed from a merger of Italian-American Fiat Chrysler and the French PSA Group, is contributing best practices for high-volume manufacturing, as per Goel.

China competition

China recently granted its inaugural production license for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, marking a significant stride in its endeavor to expand commercial applications and secure market dominance in the burgeoning tech-driven sector, reported South China Morning Post.

The EH216-S, an unmanned eVTOL aircraft designed for passenger transport, obtained its production certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), as announced in a social media post by EHang, the aircraft’s manufacturer. Notably, the craft had previously acquired its type and standard airworthiness certificates, essential prerequisites for engaging in commercial operations, from the CAAC in the preceding year.

With inputs from The Times of India

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