I toured United's new flying taxi. It's flashy and futuristic, but I'm not sold.

Business Insider

24-04-2025

I was among the first to see United and Archer's new futuristic air taxi called Midnight.
The Jetsons-like transport will shuttle people between Manhattan and nearby airports.
Midnight is a helicopter-airplane hybrid, but it's quieter, electric, and priced at an Uber Black.
A new taxi is coming to town — but I'm not yet sure if I want to hitch a ride.
United Airlines and California-based startup Archer Aviation have invested billions of dollar s to turn New York City's skies into a commuter lane with a new electric aircraft called Midnight.
The futuristic flying taxi is a helicopter-airplane hybrid, but without the polluting noise and emissions. The goal? To make the trudge around Manhattan and its nearby airports more bearable without breaking the bank.
Business Insider was among the first to see Midnight adorned in its United livery and get a sense of what these Jetson-like trips will be like at a swanky event in Manhattan in April.
I thought the event seemed overly flashy for something trying to sell a new mode of transportation to the average traveler. Jimmy Fallon randomly showed up to say he hoped to fly Midnight to the Hamptons one day.
Maybe the grandeur was the point, but with an uptick in helicopter crashes, the steep price point, and the still pending certification, I'm not totally convinced. And I'm not sure it'll ever be affordable for the Average Joe.
But with United's $1 billion backing, this futuristic air taxi may be nothing to balk at.
Don't call Midnight a helicopter — it has wings and 12 propellers.
Midnight is an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL), meaning it takes off and lands like a helicopter but flies like an airplane and has both wings and propellers.
Six rechargeable batteries power Midnight's propellers, which sit on top of Midnight and tilt to support both vertical flight and forward propulsion.
The wing generates lift and glide to enhance efficiency: "Without it, you'll always be consuming so much energy," Archer VP of design and innovation Julian Montousse told BI.
Archer's unique design enhances safety compared to helicopters, the company says
Midnight has to "be very, very safe—as safe as the big commercial airlines," Archer CEO Adam Goldstein said at the event, noting its redundant points of failure across its propellers and batteries.
Chief commercial officer Nikhil Goel told BI that he was less concerned about possible associations someone may have with Midnight and a helicopter because of the strong backing from airlines like United.
"United has bought up to $1.5 billion worth of the aircraft, and they're going to start integrating their flights," he told BI. "We're going to have a bunch of early adopters."
Archer says it can get you from Manhattan to JFK in under 10 minutes.
United sees Midnight as a speedier alternative to driving and a more environmentally friendly — and cheaper — option than helicopters.
Archer unveiled in April that the eVTOL will fly between three city helipads and a mix of major airports — John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark — plus regional ones like Westchester County near White Plains, Teterboro in New Jersey, and Republic on Long Island.
The 10-minute flight time between Manhattan and JFK is comparable to that of existing helicopter service from other local operators, such as Blade and HeliFlite.
The cabin has one pilot, four passengers, and zero overhead bins.
How Archer works with United is you'd fly from somewhere like Barcelona or Florida to Newark and then be transferred to Midnight as an air taxi into Manhattan. It'd be one ticket.
Midnight's cabin can fit four passengers and a pilot, and passengers can find personalized details about their trip — their name, destination, and countdown to liftoff — illuminated on the side of their seat. But it's by no means spacious.
Travel light if you're planning to book Midnight: The back of the aircraft can fit four carry-ons or two checked bags. The two rear seats can be removed to accommodate more luggage, though Montousse said the company is working to improve its payload.
The business model makes sense, but it could be pricey for the average person.
The goal of Midnight is to be economical while not polluting major cities with noise or carbon emissions: "I just think about the Hamptons and the way everybody would complain," Goldstein said about noise.
Archer said a Midnight ride would be that of an Uber Black — but that's per seat, not split. A ride from JFK to Archer's planned West 30th Street Heliport is $172 at the time of writing (2:30 p.m. on a Wednesday). That'd be $688 for four people on Midnight.
I'm not sure groups of family or friends — or even business travelers — will always be able to afford an Archer trip. Though Goel said the company plans to cut costs to eventually resemble the price tag of a cheaper UberX.
Archer's flashy event made Midnight seem all the more geared toward the wealthy.
In the back of a brick warehouse-turned-event space near the 30th Street Heliport, Midnight sat atop a glowing pad as onlookers snapped selfies.
Jimmy Fallon made a surprise cameo: "We're going to the Hamptons!" he shouted as he approached Midnight. VIPs were whisked off in a fleet of Cybertrucks after the event.
To me, the razzle-dazzle and apparent photo op with a celebrity make Midnight seem less geared toward the average person.
Would I ride in Midnight? I still haven't decided.
There's no denying that Midnight feels straight out of the future.
The promise of cutting down my 90-minute airport slog to a 10-minute jaunt at 1,000 feet is certainly enticing. If Archer can deliver on its vision — quiet, safe, zero-emissions air taxis at a reasonable rate — the company could alter how people move through cities.
But I'm not quite ready to hop in. Until the company clinches its necessary certifications, the trip price dips closer to a glorified taxi ride, and aircraft safety headwinds die down, I'll probably stick to ground level.