Archer Aviation’s Midnight aircraft has successfully completed its highest-altitude flight to date, reaching 7,000 feet.
The flight, conducted from Archer’s test facility in Salinas, CA, marks the latest milestone in the company’s envelope expansion testing program.
This achievement is part of a series of upcoming performance test flights aimed at validating and demonstrating Midnight’s operational range. While eVTOL aircraft like Midnight are primarily designed to operate in urban airspace between 1,500 and 4,000 feet, the ability to fly at higher altitudes provides greater flexibility for managing air traffic in congested areas and enables operations in cities situated at higher elevations.
During the flight, Midnight’s test pilot executed a steady climb after takeoff, leveled off at altitude, and proceeded to fly a total of 45 miles at speeds exceeding 120mph. This milestone follows last month’s record-setting flight, during which Midnight covered approximately 55 miles in just 31 minutes at speeds of more than 126 mph.
Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer, said, “I’m proud of the team for consistently proving Midnight’s performance capabilities while maintaining the highest safety standards. Our test pilots will continue to safely and methodically test Midnight’s speed, duration and mission profiles to prepare for early commercial operations.”
Together, these accomplishments underscore the aircraft’s readiness as Archer advances toward FAA certification in the U.S. and near-term commercialization in the UAE.
