ITA Airways and the US eVTOL developer Archer Aviation announced on 29 October 2026 that they have signed an agreement to partner on an all-electric air taxi network in Italy, using Archer's Midnight aircraft in major Italian cities1. It is not a firm aircraft order. Beyond a Rome example, the companies have not confirmed any cities, operators, vertiport sites, aircraft numbers or start date, and Archer says the deal remains conditional on definitive agreements that have yet to be signed21.

What ITA Airways and Archer have agreed

According to the joint press release, the partnership "will look to deploy air taxi services in major cities across Italy"1. The only route example given is Rome: Archer says an hour-long trip by road from Fiumicino Airport to the city centre could take less than 10 minutes in Midnight13. The companies describe the wider goal as replacing drives of 60 to 90 minutes with electric flights of 10 to 20 minutes14.

ITA Airways would not fly the aircraft itself. Its contribution "will focus on enabling an integrated customer journey and connecting the new service with its network, working alongside the specialized partners responsible for its operation", the release says1. Chief executive Joerg Eberhart called the agreement "an important step in assessing how electric air taxi services could complement our network" and said the airline is "exploring different solutions"12. Archer says ITA Airways is the first European carrier to join its network of airline partners1.

The wording matters. Archer's release states that the agreements "remain conditional, subject to the future execution of definitive agreements and the satisfaction of certain conditions", and that they may not be completed or may end up on different terms1. Aviation International News reported that Archer declined to answer questions about the deal2. ITA Airways is 59% owned by Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance and 41% by Deutsche Lufthansa AG1.

Can Midnight fly passengers in Italy yet?

No. Midnight does not yet hold an FAA type certificate, and air taxi flights in Italy would also need EASA to validate that certificate2. In August, Archer said it had reached the fourth and final phase of the FAA certification process2. Archer describes Midnight as a piloted, all-electric air taxi5; AIN describes it as a four-passenger aircraft2.

Italy has seen air taxi plans for Rome before. Volocopter, Aeroporti di Roma and the investment group Atlantia aimed to launch a service there by 2024, and Volocopter made Italy's first crewed eVTOL flight at a test vertiport at Fiumicino in October 2022, but the service never launched2. In 2022 ITA Airways also signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus on CityAirbus NextGen operations in Italy; Airbus has since paused plans to bring that aircraft to market2.

The Italian regulator has also met Archer directly. On 1 April 2026, ENAC president Pierluigi Di Palma visited Archer in San Francisco to discuss certification and the company's plans in Europe. Di Palma said the Italian airport system, with the Grottaglie test-bed, could be a strategic asset for trialling Archer's products, and that ENAC works in close coordination with EASA6.

What licence does an eVTOL pilot need in Europe?

Under EU rules, the route to flying an eVTOL runs through an existing commercial pilot licence7. Regulation (EU) 2024/1111, which amends the EU aircrew rules and adds a type rating for VTOL-capable aircraft (VCA), has applied since 1 May 20257. Applicants who already hold a commercial pilot licence for aeroplanes, CPL(A), or for helicopters, CPL(H), are entitled to that type rating; the regulation presents this as a way to ensure qualified pilots are available during the initial phase of operations. The training, skill test and proficiency checks follow the type rating requirements of Part-FCL, plus any extra training set in the operational suitability data for each aircraft type7.

The VCA type rating is valid for one year. To revalidate it, a pilot must fly at least 2 hours on the type within the validity period and pass a proficiency check in the type or a simulator7. Flying a VCA under instrument flight rules also requires an instrument rating for aeroplanes or helicopters, IR(A) or IR(H)7. Test pilots who hold a CPL(A) or CPL(H) and have flown 50 hours in total, or 10 hours as pilot-in-command, on test flights in a VCA type can be issued with a type rating for it7. EASA first published its proposed rules for air taxi operations in cities, covering flight crew licensing among other areas, in June 20228.

The United States uses a different structure. In 2024 the FAA finalised a ten-year Special Federal Aviation Regulation to certificate the first groups of powered-lift pilots and instructors, including in aircraft with a single pilot station and single functioning flight controls9. That rule lets pilots receive a powered-lift category rating and a powered-lift type rating through alternative measures9. So the US has a dedicated powered-lift rating, while in the EU the route runs through a CPL(A) or CPL(H) plus a VCA type rating97.

What this means for pilot careers

For anyone planning a career, the current EU route to an eVTOL cockpit starts with a commercial pilot licence7. You need either a CPL(A) or a CPL(H) before starting VCA type training, which ends with a skill test7. See the CPL requirements and becoming a helicopter pilot. Archer lists Etihad Aviation Training as a training partner supporting Midnight pilot and crew programmes5.

Neither company has named an operator for Italy, and the announcement gives no information on pilot numbers or hiring21. Pilots interested in the airline itself can read the ITA Airways profile and practise for the ITA Airways pilot selection. See also: US: FAA and the Beta Alia A250 eVTOL.