U.S. Archer Signs Deal with Serbia to Build National Air Taxi Network for the 2027 Belgrade World Expo
U.S. Archer Signs Deal with Serbia to Build National Air Taxi Network for the 2027 Belgrade World Expo
Author: Backhaus International Low-Altitude Economy Cooperation NetworkIn January 2026, the Government of Serbia inked an exclusive strategic cooperation agreement on low-altitude mobility with U.S.-based Archer Aviation, selecting the Archer Midnight passenger eVTOL as the official aerial transit carrier for the 2027 Belgrade World Expo. The project will construct a full-domain low-altitude transportation network linking the capital’s international airport, Expo venue, central commercial districts and scenic zones along the Danube River, creating Southeast Europe’s first national-level demonstration system for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). The three-year construction cycle spans 2026 to 2028. The Serbian government will allocate dedicated low-altitude airspace and urban rooftop vertiport construction land, collaborating with Archer to draft the first regional urban low-altitude operation regulatory code for the Balkans, defining standards for aircraft noise control, airspace zoning and low-altitude pilot qualification to form a replicable regional regulatory model. Archer will deploy 120 Midnight aircraft in batches to provide regular air taxi shuttle services throughout the Expo period, with continued domestic intercity mobility operations post-Expo and pilot cross-border low-altitude test flights and commercial operations extending to neighboring Balkan states including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Romania. The two parties will co-found a Southeast European Low-Altitude Talent Training Academy to cultivate professional specialists in aircraft maintenance, airspace scheduling and low-altitude operation for multiple Balkan nations, reinforcing regional supporting capacity for the low-altitude industry. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) participated throughout the standard formulation process to align Serbia’s low-altitude regulations with the EU U-Space airspace system, enabling unobstructed cross-border flights of aircraft within EU territory. Severe urban congestion and lengthy cross-border land transit times render low-altitude mobility a powerful alternative across Southeast Europe, prompting successive industrial support policies from regional governments. The Backhaus International Low-Altitude Economy Cooperation Network interprets this transnational government-enterprise collaboration between the U.S. and Serbia as a typical model for Western low-altitude industry expansion into emerging Eastern European markets. Leveraging an international large-scale expo as the deployment carrier, it integrates aircraft delivery, regulatory co-development and talent cultivation into a unified layout, delivering a mature cooperation reference for nations worldwide launching low-altitude demonstration projects tied to major global expos and accelerating coordinated development of the low-altitude economy across all of Europe.
