United Airlines and Archer Aviation have formed a partnership to launch a new commercial air taxi service in Chicago, with the aim of opening a flight path between downtown and O’Hare International Airport in 2025. As United’s headquarters and largest hub, Chicago is an ideal location to test the viability of air taxis as a new mode of transportation.
The drive between downtown and O’Hare can take up to an hour depending on traffic, but Archer estimates that a flight in one of its air taxis will take just 10 minutes from the airport to a downtown helipad. The service will initially be limited to the mainline O’Hare/downtown route, but the companies plan to expand to other routes and surrounding communities in the future.
While the cost of the service has not been revealed, Archer has stated that it will be “cost competitive” for passengers. The air taxis will be environmentally friendly, using electric motors and batteries that produce no emissions. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot praised the service for its potential to decarbonize transportation and fight climate change.
This partnership marks United Airlines’ latest investment in the emerging air taxi industry, following its order of at least 200 electric flying taxis from Eve Air Mobility last year, and its $10 million deposit with Archer the previous month.
Chicago’s public transportation system, which includes elevated trains and buses, is already committed to converting to electric by 2040, and the new air taxi service will further reduce emissions and traffic congestion in the city.