The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority has moved Archer Aviation's Midnight aircraft into a Restricted Type Certificate program, establishing a regulatory pathway for the electric air taxi to begin limited commercial operations in the country.

The RTC program represents a streamlined certification approach that the GCAA uses to launch initial air taxi operations. Archer becomes the first electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft manufacturer to transition to this certification track with the UAE regulator.

The transition follows several years of technical collaboration between the GCAA and Archer, including on-site inspections at Archer's U.S. facilities and in-country flights with the Midnight aircraft. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office supported the initiative as part of its Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industries cluster development.

As part of the advanced regulatory phase, the GCAA will initiate Design Organization Approval and Production Organization Approval for Archer. These designations indicate regulatory confidence in the company's engineering and safety management systems.

"The GCAA is committed to safely integrating innovative aviation technologies into the UAE airspace," said Eng. Aqeel Al Zarooni, Assistant Director General, Aviation Safety Affairs Sector at GCAA.

The program addresses eight areas critical to commercial readiness: aircraft certification, operations, maintenance, flight crew training, airspace, vertiports, security, and oversight.

Archer plans to enter service in Abu Dhabi through a partnership with Abu Dhabi Aviation, its local operating partner. Mahmood Al Hameli, Group CEO of Abu Dhabi Aviation, said the milestone reflects the company's confidence in the UAE's aviation ecosystem.

Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer, described the UAE as one of the most forward-leaning markets for advanced aviation and called the RTC program transition a major step toward bringing electric air taxis to the region.