The aviation industry is rapidly moving towards electric flight and investor interest in advanced air mobility is increasing. Archer Aviation Inc. ACHR and VERTICAL AEROSPACE LIMITED EVTL are two notable companies developing Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft for future urban and regional transportation.
Archer Aviation is working toward FAA certification for its Midnight aircraft and aims to launch commercial air taxi services by the end of 2025. Vertical Aerospace is also focusing on certification with its VX4 aircraft and expanding into global markets.
Here’s a simple look at how both companies are positioned as the eVTOL market continues to expand.
In November 2025, Archer Aviation entered into an agreement with The Helicopter Company (“THC”) and Red Sea Global (“RSG”) at the Dubai Airshow. The partnership aims to develop, test and potentially introduce Archer’s eVTOL aircraft into RSG’s transportation network, making it one of the first planned eVTOL deployments in Saudi Arabia.
Earlier this month, Archer Aviation signed an agreement with Anduril Industries and EDGE Group to accelerate the development and scale production of Anduril’s newly unveiled Omen Autonomous Air Vehicle System with its dual-use electric powertrain technology. The deal highlights the potential value of Archer Aviation’s core technology and opens up a new revenue stream for it.
The company also signed a series of definitive agreements to acquire Los Angeles’ Hawthorne Airport for $126 million in cash. Known as Jack Northrop Field, the 80-acre airport includes terminal, office and hangar facilities and is located less than three miles from LAX. The acquisition will support Archer Aviation’s planned LA air taxi network and serve as a key testbed for its AI-powered technologies.
In November 2025, Vertical Aerospace received permission to fly from the UK Civil Aviation Authority and began phase 4 – transition testing for its VX4 prototype. This marks the final stage of the company’s flight-testing program and brings it closer to moving its electric aircraft toward certification.
In October 2025, Vertical Aerospace also welcomed the UK Department for Transport’s announcement to provide funding for projects developing zero-emission aircraft and vertical takeoff and landing technology. One of the projects supported is the OxCam AAM Corridor, which brings together Skyports, Bristow Helicopters, NATS, Vertical Aerospace and Oxfordshire County Council. The project aims to accelerate from test flights to commercial Advanced Air Mobility operations in the United Kingdom, with the planned VX4 test flights forming a key part of the programme.
