Archer Aviation has completed a series of demonstration flights with its Midnight electric aircraft over San Francisco Bay, taking off and landing at Oakland International Airport. The piloted flights formed part of the “No Roads” tour, through which the US manufacturer is showcasing its air taxi’s capabilities and its integration into air traffic over major urban areas.

According to the company’s announcement on October 19, Midnight visited seven cities during a three-day journey, flying more than 320 kilometres and reaching a top speed of approximately 211 km/h. The flight from Oakland International Airport to San Francisco’s Marina District took around ten minutes, while Archer says the same journey by car can take more than an hour in heavy traffic.

The arrival in Oakland concluded the month-long Northern California leg of the tour. The journey began in Salinas and included stops in Hollister, San Martin, San Jose, Mountain View and Hayward. The selected route gradually took the aircraft into larger cities and more complex airspace, allowing it to demonstrate operations in different traffic environments.

The main objective was to demonstrate Midnight’s ability to integrate into the airspace surrounding three international airports: San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. Archer says the flights were conducted in close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as well as state and local partners. These demonstration flights are intended to lay the groundwork for future passenger operations.

Alongside integration into existing air traffic, the tour also introduces local communities to the electric air taxi concept. Archer is developing Midnight for short urban and intercity routes, with the ability to conduct consecutive flights and make brief stops between them. The company cites low noise levels, no direct emissions during flight and shorter journey times compared with road transport as its main advantages. The aim is to replace some 60- to 90-minute drives with flights lasting ten to twenty minutes.

Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said the flights between Northern California cities demonstrated the potential to connect communities while bypassing congestion on roads and bridges. The San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and other US cities are among the markets where the company hopes to develop this form of transport.

The next planned stop on the tour is Los Angeles, where Archer intends to continue demonstrations as it prepares for operations under the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which supports the integration of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

The Bay Area flights followed round-trip journeys between Salinas and Monterey, and between Salinas and Hollister. Midnight was also presented to the public at the California International Airshow, where, according to Archer’s announcement, it performed several piloted flights in front of tens of thousands of visitors on September 22.