1st for Africa: Ethiopian Airlines to deploy first Archer Midnight eVTOL in 2026
July 17, 2025
Ethiopian Airlines has become an early adopter of Archer’s new Midnight eVTOL. The airline has said it expects to roll out the first two eVTOL aircraft next year to service government resorts in the country.
Ethiopian Airlines participates in Archer’s ‘Launch Edition’ program
Ethiopian Airlines announced an update on its agreement with Archer to supply Midnight eVTOLs. The first examples are now expected to enter service in 2026.
Ethiopian Airlines has partnered with Archer to roll out its new Midnight eVTOL starting with an agreement to deploy an initial fleet.
According to reporting at APA News, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew now expects the airline will receive the first two of four planned Midnight eVTOLs in 2026.
The agreement is part of Archer’s ‘Launch Edition’ programme, making Ethiopian Airlines the second customer to announce plans to deploy these eVTOLs under the programme.
The project aims to help companies demonstrate the capabilities of Midnight, drive public acceptance, and more.
Archer will provide Ethiopian with a team of pilots, technicians, and engineers required to support the initial deployment of Midnight aircraft in Ethiopia. Archer will also provide backend software and front-end booking applications to help power urban air mobility operations during the Launch Edition program.
Archer’s Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft able to perform rapid back-to-back trips. It is designed with advanced battery charging technology, allowing for only a minimal charge time between flights.
Ethiopian Airlines sees air taxi and eco-tourism applications
Ethiopian’s vision two fold. One is to create an air taxi network in the region, while the other is to explore the potential application of Midnight to eco-tourism and other use cases.
Archer has previously stated that the primary focus, at least initially, will be on developing the air taxi network. Meanwhile, ch-aviation reported these first eVTOLs will be used mainly for tourism, “including air taxi services to government-run resort areas.”
In a recent interview with AGN, Archer CEO Adam Goldstein noted that it would take time for all the use cases for such a machine to be realised.
The introduction of Midnight around the world is picking up steam. In June 2025, Archer announced the third partner, Indonesia’s PT. Industri Ketahanan Nasional, to join its Launch Edition program.
Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA) is the program’s first customer, and in July 2025, Archer began test flights in Abu Dhabi.
Part of Ethiopia’s broader push to electric-powered transportation
The massive 5,150 MW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), built on the Blue Nile, is now nearing the end of its construction and generating electricity. For the first time, Ethiopia is able to generate substantial amounts of electricity.
While the dam has brought the ire of some players in the region, particularly Egypt, Ethiopia can work to develop its economy in a way that wasn’t possible before.
In 2024, to the surprise of many, Ethiopia suddenly banned the import of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles into the country. According to CleanTechnica, this effectively made it the first country in the world to ban the sale of fossil-fueled cars, leapfrogging Norway.
This is not an isolated move on the continent. Rwanda ruled that from January 2025, only electric motorbikes can be registered.
As African countries look to sustainability as a key economic driver, Archer is standing by to demonstrate how transportation can be faster, greener and easier.
