Based on a series of record-breaking flight test achievements, Archer Aviation has announced that its all-electric Midnight aircraft will perform public demonstration flights at the 2025 California International Air Show in Salinas, California. The event, scheduled for October 4-5, will be a hometown showcase for Archer, whose test flight facility is based at the Salinas Municipal Airport.
The company plans to have nearly 1,000 employees from its engineering, operations, and flight test teams on hand to celebrate the milestone and engage with the anticipated 65,000 attendees. The air show is a major event, featuring the return of the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels for the first time since 2019. Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft is slated to fly as one of the initial acts on both days, performing ahead of the Blue Angels and the USAF F-16 Viper Demo team.
This public debut follows significant flight test progress for the Midnight aircraft. As part of a rigorous performance testing campaign, Archer recently completed its highest altitude flights to date, reaching 7,000 and 10,000 feet. Just prior to that, the piloted aircraft completed its longest endurance flight, covering approximately 55 miles in 31 minutes.
The Archer Midnight is a piloted, all-electric eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft designed specifically for urban air mobility. It is engineered to carry four passengers and perform rapid back-to-back trips with minimal charge time between flights. The vision for this electric air taxi is to transform urban commutes, replacing 60–90-minute car journeys with safe, sustainable, low-noise flights that take only 10–20 minutes, all while aiming to be cost-competitive with ground transportation.
