Industry-first: Archer to bring Starlink onboard Midnight air taxis

Archer Aviation Inc. today announced it will work with Starlink to bring stable, reliable and high-speed connectivity to its air taxis, marking Starlink’s entry into the emerging air mobility category and an industry-first collaboration.

Under the agreement, Archer will install Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite internet system into its Midnight aircraft and conduct testing. The system is designed to provide high-speed, low-latency, connectivity during Midnight’s air taxi operations.

Midnight is Archer’s piloted electric air taxi designed to carry up to four passengers while producing less noise and emissions than a traditional helicopter. Midnight is built with redundant systems across the aircraft—including 12 total engines and propellers—allowing Archer to target similar levels of safety as commercial airliners.

Beyond passenger internet access, Archer plans to utilize Starlink to enable communications between Midnight, pilots and engineering teams on the ground, helping to support the company’s air taxi connectivity infrastructure. Archer and Starlink also plan to work together to develop a connectivity solution that can help power Archer’s future development of autonomous aircraft.

Unlike traditional aircraft connectivity solutions that rely on ground towers or geostationary satellites, Starlink’s LEO constellation is engineered to provide consistent, high-bandwidth coverage even at low flight altitudes and in dense urban environments where cellular coverage is often unreliable. These characteristics make Starlink uniquely suited to next-generation aviation platforms, such as air taxis operating in and around cities at altitudes of approximately 1,500 feet.

Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer, said, “Connectivity is a must have feature for Midnight. Starlink is uniquely built to deliver it. This industry-first collaboration will enable seamless, high-speed connectivity and essential amenities for our passengers and pilots.”

Archer’s goal is to enable passengers in Midnight to travel across cities in just 5-15 minutes, dramatically reducing travel times compared to traditional ground transportation. Starlink will provide those passengers with consistent, high-speed connectivity throughout their short trips.