NEW DELHI: Indian aviation authorities are preparing the groundwork for the planned launch of air taxis in the country by 2026. In a major milestone, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday issued the rules for establishing vertiports – from where these vertical take-off & landing (VTOL) capable aircraft – will operate, paving the way for “advance air mobility” (AAM) in India.
IndiGo parent InterGlobe Enterprises (IGE) plans to launch California-based electric air taxi-maker Archer Aviation‘s e-VTOL ‘Midnight’ in the country around 2026. IGE chief Rahul Bhatia has signed up for upto 200 Midnights worth $1 billion.
Issued after “extensive consultation with all stakeholders,” the DGCA circular “provides comprehensive guidelines covering various critical aspects”. These include, basic infrastructure requirement specifications; physical attributes for vertiports; guidelines to ensure air taxis’ safe and unobstructed take-off and landing; standards for visual aids to assist in landing; battery charging/energising requirements and emergency response planning.
“Under this circular, site clearance and authorisation post-construction of the vertiport will be granted,” the regulator said. Vertiports will be used by passengers to board and alight from air taxis; charging and parking these eVTOLs.
Delhi-NCR, where IGE has its headquarters, is likely to be the first place in India to get air taxi service. Mumbai and Bengaluru are also expected to get the same in 2026. Hyderabad and Chennai could also get this traffic-buster.
Archer, whose chief commercial officer is Indian origin Nikhil Goel, is working on a number of hi-tech innovations and features for vertiports. It expects the US FAA’s approvals this year and then will start service in New York next year as the launch route. After the US, India and the UAE will get air taxis.
Trial flights will be conducted here, with the regulator’s nod, before commercial launch. Once they get the go-ahead, air taxis can start flying on the allowed routes. The UAE’s aviation authority had this April granted operational approval for the country’s first vertiport.
Nikhil Goel had recently said the cost per passenger of using this service is likely to be just a “slight premium” over Uber. “Delhi-Gurgaon, for instance, costs Rs 1,500-2,000 by Uber. An air taxi (per passenger) will cost upto 1.5 times of that or Rs 2,000-3,000,” he had said.
Archer’s 12-rotter Midnight can seat a pilot, upto four passengers and some luggage. The same machine has been selected by the US mega carrier United, one of the backers of Archer, that has also firmed up two routes for launch next year – United hub Newark and downtown Manhattan, and Chicago O’Hare and the windy city centre. The UAE will use it for travel between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
IndiGo parent InterGlobe Enterprises (IGE) plans to launch California-based electric air taxi-maker Archer Aviation‘s e-VTOL ‘Midnight’ in the country around 2026. IGE chief Rahul Bhatia has signed up for upto 200 Midnights worth $1 billion.
Issued after “extensive consultation with all stakeholders,” the DGCA circular “provides comprehensive guidelines covering various critical aspects”. These include, basic infrastructure requirement specifications; physical attributes for vertiports; guidelines to ensure air taxis’ safe and unobstructed take-off and landing; standards for visual aids to assist in landing; battery charging/energising requirements and emergency response planning.
“Under this circular, site clearance and authorisation post-construction of the vertiport will be granted,” the regulator said. Vertiports will be used by passengers to board and alight from air taxis; charging and parking these eVTOLs.
Delhi-NCR, where IGE has its headquarters, is likely to be the first place in India to get air taxi service. Mumbai and Bengaluru are also expected to get the same in 2026. Hyderabad and Chennai could also get this traffic-buster.
Archer, whose chief commercial officer is Indian origin Nikhil Goel, is working on a number of hi-tech innovations and features for vertiports. It expects the US FAA’s approvals this year and then will start service in New York next year as the launch route. After the US, India and the UAE will get air taxis.
Trial flights will be conducted here, with the regulator’s nod, before commercial launch. Once they get the go-ahead, air taxis can start flying on the allowed routes. The UAE’s aviation authority had this April granted operational approval for the country’s first vertiport.
Nikhil Goel had recently said the cost per passenger of using this service is likely to be just a “slight premium” over Uber. “Delhi-Gurgaon, for instance, costs Rs 1,500-2,000 by Uber. An air taxi (per passenger) will cost upto 1.5 times of that or Rs 2,000-3,000,” he had said.
Archer’s 12-rotter Midnight can seat a pilot, upto four passengers and some luggage. The same machine has been selected by the US mega carrier United, one of the backers of Archer, that has also firmed up two routes for launch next year – United hub Newark and downtown Manhattan, and Chicago O’Hare and the windy city centre. The UAE will use it for travel between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.