Boeing agreed to take a nearly 20% stake in Archer
Archer Aviation said Friday that it is launching electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi networks in Austin, Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The company said the goal of the launches is to increase connectivity between major airports, business hubs and tourist destinations. Archer cited high traffic volume in the Texas cities as a potential benefit of the fleets.
The expansion comes after Boeing agreed in August to take a nearly 20% stake in Archer. The deal is set to give Archer control of Boeing’s flying-taxi venture Wisk Aero, its air-traffic software provider SkyGrid and its drone maker Insitu.
Archer, a California-based startup, recently completed the Northern California leg of its flight tour, which was meant to show how air taxis would work in urban areas. The tour flew into seven cities over a three-day period.