NEW DELHI: Get ready to travel from Central Delhi (Connaught Place) to Gurugram (Gurgaon) in Haryana in just 7 minutes as InterGlobe Enterprises, the promoter group of IndiGo, and US-based Archer Aviation plans to launch an all-electric air taxi service in 2026. The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft will be able to carry four passengers and a pilot. The cost could be Rs 2,000-3,000 per passenger.
At present, it takes an hour to cover the 27-km distance from Central Delhi to Gurugram by road, and it could take more time if the traffic conditions are bad. Uber and Ola charge Rs 500-800, while Delhi Metro takes 50 minutes and charges Rs 50 to travel between the two locations.
Similar services will be launched in Mumbai and Bengaluru as well. Archer will supply 200 eVTOL aircraft for services in India. The 200 planes will cost around $1 billion.
The regulatory nod is expected next year. Archer Aviation Founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said talks are on with the US Federal Aviation Administration and the certification process is at an advanced stage. The US certification is expected next year and the DGCA will then be approached.
Smooth and silent
These operate like helicopters but with less noise. The plane will have 6 battery packs, which will take about 40 minutes to fully charge. Broadly, one minute charge means one minute flight