Archer Aviation and Starlink hope your first ride in an air taxi will include in-flight internet

As vertical takeoff vehicles move toward commercial operations, one leading aviation firm is teaming up with Elon Musk’s SpaceX for better onboard connectivity.

[Photo: Archer Aviation]

Archer Aviation is installing Starlink on its Midnight electric air taxis, the company announced on February 27.

The move, an industry first, will bring “stable, reliable, and high-speed connectivity” to Archer’s vehicles courtesy of Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit satellite internet systems.

Starlink capabilities will allow passengers to access the internet in-flight while also enabling better communication between individual aircraft, pilots, and engineers on the ground to create a more integrated and connected infrastructure.

The two companies will also work on developing connectivity technology for Archer’s future autonomous aircraft, Archer said.

“Connectivity is a must-have feature for Midnight,” Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer, said in a statement. “Starlink is uniquely built to deliver it.”

Connectivity from anywhere

Starlink, which is owned and operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has roughly 10 million customers around the world, mostly in North America.

Its satellite internet service is popular with customers who live in rural areas without reliable broadband or traditional internet infrastructure. It’s also used by various maritime and aviation companies that operate in remote areas on ships, aircraft, and offshore platforms.

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