Archer Aviation Partners to Develop Air Taxis in Europe

Archer Aviation announced from Davos, Switzerland today that it had formed an agreement with the Republic of Serbia to develop European air taxis. The terms of the deal give Serbia the option to purchase 25 of Archer’s electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) air taxis in exchange for an undisclosed sum and Archer’s status as Serbia’s “preferred air taxi partner” and a host for EXPO 2027 Belgrade. In a related deal, Archer said it had entered “a strategic dialogue” with Serbia on the tech startup’s access to Serbia’s rare earth magnets and critical battery minerals.

The deal adds Serbia to the list of companies agreeing to work with the aviation and defense startup, which also includes South Korea, Japan, India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

In statements, Serbian officials said they hoped the new partnership would bring air taxis to Belgrade for the 2027 expo.

“When we were given the opportunity to host such a significant event as Belgrade Expo 2027, we knew that we wanted to take a step forward when it comes to new technologies, technological innovations, artificial intelligence and more, said First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Siniša Mali.

Archer CEO Adam Goldstein, in a statement, praised the President of Serbia for having an eye on developing technologies.

“I met the President of Serbia last year at the World Economic Forum where we immediately connected over a shared vision for the future of transportation,” Goldstein said. “The Republic of Serbia presents another demand signal for eVTOL aircraft, and another opportunity to deploy our aircraft and build operational expertise.”