FAA Acting Administrator, Billy Nolen, and Director of Certification, Lirio Liu, along with others from the FAA visited Archer Headquarters recently as the company seeks to certify its Midnight electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The half-day visit included discussions about how the company plans to safely integrate its eVTOL aircraft into the National Airspace System, plans for aircraft manufacturing, a tour of the facilities and a demonstration of the aircraft flight simulator.

The visit led to three key takeaways:

The FAA's leaders reiterated that the safe integration of eVTOL aircraft into the national airspace is a top three priority to ensure the U.S. continues to lead the world in aerospace innovation.

Safely integrating eVTOL aircraft into the national airspace in 2025 is the target they are collectively working toward together.

Ensuring eVTOL aircraft are operating, at scale, in time for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, California, is a key outcome the FAA and Archer are focused on.

This visit was a noteworthy event for Archer on its path to commercializing its Midnight aircraft.