InterGlobe-Archer air taxi service aims to transport passengers from Connaught Place in the national capital to Gurugram in Haryana in approximately 7 minutes. In contrast, the 27-kilometre journey by road would take 60–90 minutes

InterGlobe Enterprises, a promoting entity of India’s one of thr  largest airline, IndiGo, has revealed plans to launch an all-electric air taxi service in the country by 2026. The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Archer Aviation for the operation of this service, subject to regulatory approvals.

Once initiated, the InterGlobe-Archer air taxi service aims to transport passengers from Connaught Place in the national capital to Gurugram in Haryana in approximately 7 minutes. In contrast, the 27-kilometre journey by road would take 60–90 minutes. InterGlobe Enterprises is a major Indian travel conglomerate, with IndiGo as its prominent airline. Archer Aviation is a key player in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The collaborative venture plans to introduce an all-electric air taxi service nationwide by 2026. Beyond urban air taxi services, the partners aim to explore various use cases for electric aircraft in India, including cargo, logistics, medical and emergency services, as well as private company and charter services.

The plan involves collaborating with select in-country business partners to manage Archer’s aircraft operations, finance and construct vertiport infrastructure, and train the necessary personnel. Additionally, the partnership aims to finance the purchase of up to 200 of Archer’s Midnight aircraft for operations in India. The Midnight aircraft is a four-passenger eVTOL designed for rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between them.

The goal is for passengers on an InterGlobe-Archer flight to cover the 27-kilometre journey from Connaught Place to Gurugram, typically taking 60 to 90 minutes by car, in approximately 7 minutes.

In addition to aviation, InterGlobe Enterprises is involved in hospitality, logistics, airline management, travel commerce, advanced pilot training, and aircraft maintenance engineering. IndiGo, with a domestic market share of over 63% in September, is India’s largest airline, currently having around 970 aircraft on order.

(Inputs from PTI)