InterGlobe Enterprises, the parent company of IndiGo Airlines has announced its plans to bring air taxi services to India. InterGlobe has joined hands with US-based Archer Aviation to launch an all-electric air taxi service in India in 2026.
Delhi-Gurugram air taxi fares
According to the company, the air taxis can carry passengers from Connaught Place in the heart of Delhi to Gurugram in Haryana in just 7 minutes.
The flight time between Delhi and Gurugram is expected to be around seven minutes and it will cost Rs 2,000 to 3,000 per passenger.
In contrast, travelling the same 27-kilometre distance by road will take around 90 minutes and the cost would be about Rs 1,500.
Air taxi services in Mumbai, Bengaluru
However, the air taxi service will not be limited to Delhi-NCR. InterGlobe and Archer Aviation will launch similar services in Mumbai and Bengaluru in the first phase.
The US-based company is also in discussions with various municipalities with respect to infrastructure and other aspects of flight operations.
Can carry five passengers, fly 40 minutes
As part of the deal, Archer Aviation will supply 200 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that operate just like helicopters but with lesser noise and better safety.
These five-seater air taxis can carry a total of five people at a time, including the pilot and four passengers.
According to the company, the five-seater Midnight aircraft will have six battery packs, will get fully charged in 30-40 minutes and one minute charge broadly translates to one minute of flight.
Working on regulatory approvals
Archer is working with India’s aviation watchdog to get the “appropriate regulatory approvals” before it can begin trials in the country, its chief commercial officer Nikhil Goel said.
The certification in the US is expected next year and once that is in place, the process will be initiated for the certification by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
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