On August 10, 2026, Archer Aviation announced it is buying three companies from Boeing. Not one. Not two. Three whole companies in a single deal. And Archer is not paying cash. Instead, Boeing will get about 20% ownership of Archer.
This is the biggest deal the air taxi industry has ever seen. Archer’s stock price shot up 20% in one day. Then it went up another 11% the next day. Investors are very excited about what this means.
Archer is getting three Boeing companies. Let me explain what each one does in simple words:
1. Wisk Aero – Self-Flying Air Taxi
Wisk Aero builds air taxis that fly without any pilot inside. The aircraft flies completely on its own using computers and sensors. Boeing spent years and hundreds of millions of dollars building this technology. Now Archer owns all of it.
2. Insitu – Military Drones
Insitu builds drones for the military. These drones already operate in 35 countries around the world. Insitu makes more than $200 million every year in revenue. That is real money coming in right now not future promises.
3. SkyGrid – Air Traffic Software
SkyGrid makes software that manages air traffic for drones and air taxis. Think of it like Google Maps but for flying vehicles in the sky. This software will be needed when hundreds of air taxis are flying over cities at the same time.
Why Is Boeing Selling?
Boeing decided it does not want to build air taxis on its own anymore. It tried for years through Wisk Aero but things moved too slowly. There were also problems – a tipster said Wisk was rushing its software testing.
So Boeing made a smart business decision. Instead of spending more billions trying to build its own flying taxi, it handed everything to Archer and took a 20% ownership stake. If Archer succeeds, Boeing still makes money. But Boeing does not have to spend any more cash on development.
What Does Archer Get From This?
Before this deal, Archer had one main product — the Midnight air taxi. It carries passengers with a human pilot flying the aircraft.
After this deal, Archer now has:
- Midnight – air taxi with a pilot (for passengers)
- Wisk technology – self-flying air taxi (no pilot needed in the future)
- Insitu drones – military business making $200M+ per year
- SkyGrid – software to manage air traffic
- Halo – autonomous military aircraft (announced earlier with Anduril)
In one day, Archer went from being just an air taxi company to being a full aerospace and defense company. That is a massive change.
Why This Deal Is a Big Game-Changer
Here is why this matters so much:
No more money stress: Insitu already makes $200 million a year. Before this, Archer was losing money and making nothing from its flying taxis. Now, Archer has a steady business making real cash while it prepares to launch its taxi service.
Flying without pilots: Flying taxis need to get rid of pilots to make rides cheap, because pilots cost a lot of money. Wisk’s technology gives Archer a way to fly automatically in the future. Right now, almost no other flying taxi company can do this.
Complete package: Archer now has the aircraft (Midnight), the self-flying brain (Wisk), the military business (Insitu), and the traffic management system (SkyGrid). Everything needed to run a full air taxi network.
How Does This Compare to Joby?
Archer’s main rival is Joby Aviation. Before this deal, Joby was clearly ahead. Joby had more test flights, more revenue (from Blade), and was closer to certification.
After this deal, things are more interesting. Joby is still closer to launching passenger service. But Archer now has more technology, more revenue (through Insitu), and a path to both manned and unmanned flight.
Joby reported $39 million in Q2 revenue and raised its 2026 forecast to $115-$125 million. Meanwhile, Insitu alone brings in over $200 million per year for Archer. On paper, Archer now has a bigger revenue business.
The deal is expected to close by the end of 2026. After that, Boeing will own about 20% of Archer and will get a seat on Archer’s board of directors. Boeing also has options to buy more shares over the next four years.
For the air taxi industry, this deal is a turning point. Boeing – one of the biggest airplane makers in the world – just said they believe Archer is the right company to build the future of air travel.