Financiers working in Steve Ross’ West Palm Beach office towers may soon have a new way to travel to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. A partnership between Ross, chairman of Related Companies, and Archer Aviation will allow passengers to use electric air taxis for trips that could take less than 30 minutes.
Archer Aviation, based in San Jose, California, is developing electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing vehicles known as eVTOLs. The company plans to establish hubs at several airports across South Florida, including Miami Executive Airport, Miami International Airport, Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Boca Raton Airport, Palm Beach International Airport and Stuart Witham Field Airport.
The network will also make use of helipads at Hard Rock Stadium and Apogee Golf Club—both linked to Ross. Additional vertiports are planned for West Palm Beach, the Magic City Innovation District in Miami’s Little Haiti and North Bay Village.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the longest routes on this network are expected to last about 30 minutes. Archer intends to deploy its Midnight model aircraft for these flights. Each vehicle will carry four passengers plus a pilot and luggage. While pricing has not been finalized, Melissa McCaffrey, Archer’s head of government affairs, said it would be comparable to premium ride services such as Uber Black; typically a trip from Miami to West Palm Beach costs around $200.
“When the network will be operational is dependent on approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, which has yet to certify Archer’s air taxis for commercial use. Its eVTOL aircraft are the first new category considered by the FAA in almost 80 years.”
Archer is also planning similar networks in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Abu Dhabi.
Other companies are pursuing similar projects in South Florida. Israeli firm AIR began flight testing its own eVTOL near West Palm Beach in September but experienced a crash during a test flight in October.
