Ethiopian Airlines has made a 30-million-dollar deal with Archer Aviation to bring electric air taxis to the country. The airline plans to use Archer's "Midnight" aircraft to create a new, faster way to travel within cities. The "Midnight" aircraft is a small, electric-powered plane that can take off and land vertically, like a helicopter. It can carry four passengers and is designed for short trips, aiming to cut travel times greatly. Instead of long car rides, passengers could travel across cities in 10 to 20 minutes. This deal designates Ethiopian Airlines as the second customer for Archer’s Midnight aircraft, following Abu Dhabi Aviation Group. "It's a big step," said Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group. "We want to make travel easier and more eco-friendly." The companies also plan to explore using the air taxis for tourism. The  signing ceremony was held in Addis Abeba last week, while they will now work with the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority to launch the service.

[ssba-buttons]