Delhi to Haryana in 7 minutes for Rs 2,000: InterGlobe to launch air taxis in 2026

InterGlobe Enterprises, which owns India's largest airline IndiGo, will launch an all-electric air taxi service in India from Delhi's Connaught Place to Haryana's Gurugram by 2026. The tax service will cover the distance in less than 7 minites and will charge Rs 2,000-3,000 per passenger. 

In November 2023, InterGlobe Enterprises and Archer Aviation entered into a deal with the goal of partnering to launch and operate an all-electric air taxi service in India. The partnership planned to finance the purchase of up to 200 of Archer’s Midnight aircraft for the India operations. 

InterGlobe’s partner Archer Aviation will supply 200 eVTOL aircraft, news agency PTI reported on Friday. Similar services will be launched in Mumbai and Bengaluru as well.

The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft can carry the pilot in addition to four passengers. They are similar to helicopters, however, less noisy and a safer alternative.

Archer Aviation Founder and CEO Founder & CEO Adam Goldstein told PTI that talks are going on with the US regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the certification process for its aircraft is at an advanced stage.

Once the FAA provides the certificate, the Indian regulator for aviation Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will give its start the certification process.

Goldstein told PTI that the service will commence in India in 2026 and aims to have 200 of its Midnight planes for the operations.

"Hopefully for next year, we will be able to bring planes here at the very least from a demonstrations perspective and fly them around. The goal is to help prepare the public for a new form of transportation," Goldstein, who also founded Archer, said in New Delhi.

Archer is working with India's aviation watchdog to get the "appropriate regulatory approvals" before it can begin trials in the country, its chief commercial officer Nikhil Goel said, adding it is already conducting trials in California.

Goel said the plane, which will have six battery packs, will get fully charged in 30-40 minutes and one minute charge broadly translates to one minute of flight.

Archer Aviation will be opening its manufacturing facility in the US this year and initially, it will have a capacity to produce up to 650 planes and the same will be enhanced to 2,000 planes.