United Airlines Unveils First Passenger eVTOL Route to Begin in 2025 – Ars Technica

In 2025, United Airlines will fly an air taxi service between downtown Vertiport Chicago and O’Hare International Airport, using an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft it purchases from Archer Aviation. The Archer Midnight eVTOL will complete the route in about 10 minutes; According to local resident and Ars managing editor Eric Bangeman, this drive can take over an hour due to road construction.

“Both Archer and United are committed to decarbonising air travel and leveraging innovative technologies to deliver on the promise of electrification in the aviation industry,” said Michael Leskinen, President, United Airlines Ventures. “Once operational, we are excited to offer our customers a more sustainable, convenient and cost-effective means of transportation for their commute to the airport.”

United has placed an order for 200 Archer eVTOL aircraft in 2021 at a cost of $1 billion. The startup also raised money from automaker Stellantis, which has been helping the company make carbon fiber composites.

United is headquartered in Chicago, which no doubt helped locate the first eVTOL road. But United and Archer also say that as the nation’s third most populous city, it is home to the business and innovation that makes eVTOL deployments such a good idea.

If Chicago is successful, United plans to add other “major routes” from the airport to the city, with “sub” routes between the different communities at a later date. The Midnight Archer has a range of 100 miles (160 km) and a top speed of 150 mph (241 km/h).

If approved by the FAA, the Chicago Air Shuttle will be the first commercial eVTOL service to begin operating in North America. When asked about the cost, An Archer spokesperson told the Chicago Sun-Times That the company hopes to make the service competitive with Uber Black, so it’ll be around $100 a ride.