Archer Aviation said on Monday that Soracle, its joint venture partner backed by Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corporation, has been appointed to lead the development of air taxi services in Osaka Prefecture, positioning Archer as the only U.S. eVTOL manufacturer set to play a central role in the region’s new urban air mobility plans.
Soracle intends to deploy Archer’s Midnight aircraft as the mainstay of its fleet under agreements with Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City. The deal marks what both companies called a key step in building regulatory, operational and community frameworks to connect Osaka and the wider Kansai region through electric vertical takeoff and landing flights.
“We’re proud of our continued partnership with Soracle, and applaud their latest milestone securing air taxi rights in Osaka,” Archer CEO and founder Adam Goldstein said. “It was an honor to host Minister Nakano and the Japanese delegation this past week, and I look forward to deepening our relationship in the country as we build the foundation for commercial air taxi services in Japan.”
Archer and Soracle announced a strategic alliance in November 2024 with the aim of offering air taxi operations in Japan, particularly in urban areas facing traffic congestion or geographical barriers. The two partners showcased Archer’s Midnight aircraft earlier this year at the Osaka Kansai World Expo to highlight its potential role in the region’s future mobility system.
Japan, which pioneered modern transportation through high-speed rail and advanced aviation infrastructure, is expected to be among the early adopters of eVTOL technology as commercialization approaches.
Soracle CEO Yukihiro Ota said, “We are honored to announce the partnership agreement with Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City to realize our commercial eVTOL air taxi service in the region. Thanks to Archer’s dedicated and continuous cooperation and support, we are confident that we can achieve this goal and realize the social implementation together with Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City.”
Last week, a delegation including Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Hiromasa Nakano, officials from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and the Consul General of Japan in San Francisco visited Archer’s California headquarters. The visit included discussions on the potential rollout of air taxi services across the country.