A partnership between Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corporation has secured an option to purchase up to 100 electric air-taxis from Archer Aviation, potentially worth US$500 million.

The joint project, known as Soracle, may proceed with the order dependent on Archer meeting certain milestones.

Archer’s air-taxi, called ‘Midnight’, is designed to carry four passengers and a pilot. It is optimized for short-distance trips of about 20 miles, requiring minimal recharging time.

Soracle plans to implement flight routes in cities like Tokyo and Osaka, awaiting approval from Japanese regulators.

Recent air-taxi developments