United Airlines is betting on a “Jetsons”-style future for commuters by putting down a $10 million deposit on a fleet of 100 flying four-person taxis from Archer Aviation.
In spite of the name, the taxis look less like cars and more like small helicopters. They are electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs, and use batteries to hover and fly with the assistance of propellers.
The deal with United is a “validation of Archer’s achievements to date, not only with flight testing and product development, but also a great signal of confidence in our roadmap to commercialization,” said Adam Goldstein, the company’s chief executive officer in a press release.