UPDRAFTS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Melissa McCaffrey, Head of Government Affairs, Archer
AAM company’s lead lobbyist discusses what’s next. By Mark Huber
A
RCHER AVIATION IS ONE OF THE LEADING companies in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) industry. With a market capitaliza- tion estimated at $3.98 billion in late April, Archer has made
significant progress in recent years: ▪ Obtained commitments from United Airlines and Japan Airlines for up to $2 billion in aircraft sales
▪ Allied with global automaker Stellantis for serial production and construction of a large final assembly plant in the US state of Georgia
▪ Obtained various FAA certificates, including Part 135 air carrier, Part 145 repair station, and Part 141 flight school
▪ Formed a defense division and delivered aircraft to the US Air Force
▪ Announced air taxi networks in India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the US cities of Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
▪ Successfully completed hundreds of hours of test flights of its Midnight aircraft.
Melissa McCaffrey joined Archer last year as head of
government affairs. McCaffrey previously led Overair’s govern- ment affairs division and prior to that, she spent a decade at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. She holds a bachelor’s degree in air traffic manage- ment from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and has been a licensed pilot for over 20 years. POWER UP recently discussed the road ahead for Archer and the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector. This interview has been lightly edited.
POWER UP: How do you leverage your supplier and customer coalition to navigate the regulatory and legislative environment? McCaffrey:We’ve been very intentional about building a global partner network. It gives us the flexibility to adapt to different regulatory landscapes. Our goal is to launch service in the UAE later this year,
and we’ll bring that experience to our work with the FAA and other regulators to move toward commercial service in the United States.
22 POWER UP JUN 2025
So that data will expedite the spread of AAM service? It’s going to be really valuable data. Our service in the UAE will be a game changer, and I think it’s going to be an accel- erator for US operations.
You formed Archer Defense last year. Is sustained government financial support necessary for AAM to achieve its full potential? Yes. There’s a very long history of defense shaping civil avia- tion. Just think of GPS. That was originally developed for the
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