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Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Unveils Plans for UAE’s First Hospital-Based Vertiport, in Partnership With Archer Aviation

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Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Unveils Plans for UAE’s First Hospital-Based Vertiport, in Partnership With Archer Aviation
News

News

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Unveils Plans for UAE’s First Hospital-Based Vertiport, in Partnership With Archer Aviation

2025-10-08 20:29 Last Updated At:20:51

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 8, 2025--

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251008453275/en/

The goal is to enable passengers to travel from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi to nearby locations in just minutes, dramatically reducing travel times compared to traditional ground transportation. The two companies are exploring both non-emergency passenger use cases and time-critical organ transport. These operations would utilize Midnight, Archer’s electric aircraft designed to carry up to four passengers while producing less noise and emissions than a traditional helicopter and would use the planned passenger carrying cabin configuration for both purposes.

This partnership is another step forward in Archer’s planned launch of its commercial operations in Abu Dhabi. Archer plans to support Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in upgrading its existing helipad to enable both traditional helicopter and eVTOL aircraft operations.

“This partnership showcases the breadth of Archer’s network vision - connecting not just places, but pillars of life in Abu Dhabi,” said Bryan Bernhard, Chief Growth & Infrastructure Officer at Archer. “Following our first hybrid vertiport approval at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal earlier this year, this next location demonstrates how Archer and the GCAA are working together to unlock a city-wide ecosystem for advanced air mobility.”

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is internationally recognized for its world-class care and is a key regional destination for medical tourism. With this new vertiport, patients and visitors are expected to have enhanced access to the hospital.

“We are excited about the partnership with Archer to advance access to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s patient-centered care,” said Dr. Georges-Pascal Haber, CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. “This new mode of emission-free transport aligns with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s commitment to sustainability, gives additional options to many patients travelling to our hospital for care, and provides our thriving organ transplant program with fast logistics.”

Archer’s launch network in the UAE continues to leverage the GCAA’s regulatory framework for hybrid vertiports, which enables the simultaneous operation of conventional helicopters and eVTOL aircraft on the same infrastructure. Archer plans to continue to partner with leading institutions across the capital to convert existing helipads into certified vertiports in alignment with Abu Dhabi’s strategic vision for advanced air mobility.

About Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, part of the M42 group, is a multispecialty hospital located on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE. As an extension of Cleveland Clinic in the U.S., it is uniquely designed to address the complex and critical care needs of the UAE and the broader region. The hospital is organized into specialized Institutes, including Heart, Vascular & Thoracic; Neurological; Cancer; Digestive Disease; Medical Subspecialties; Integrated Surgical Subspecialties; Integrated Hospital Care; and Diagnostic.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is a 405-bed hospital, including 321 acute care beds, 84 critical care beds, four royal suites, and 26 operating rooms. Its state-of-the-art facilities provide patients in the region with direct access to world-class healthcare providers and Cleveland Clinic’s renowned model of care. The hospital is also home to the Fatima bint Mubarak Center, a dedicated cancer center offering comprehensive diagnostics and advanced treatment across 24 clinical departments, covering a range of cancer subspecialties and programs. Committed to medical innovation, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi integrates robotics across specialties, pioneers’ endovascular therapy and hybrid procedures, and offers comprehensive programs in heart failure, heart transplantation, and limb salvage. Licensed by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi as a designated research and teaching facility, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi drives medical innovation through clinical trials and advanced research to enhance patient care. It is the first hospital in the UAE accredited by both the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education International (ACGMEI) and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), offering residency and fellowship programs, undergraduate health professional training, and Continuing Medical Education (CME).

About Archer

Archer is designing and developing the key enabling technologies and aircraft necessary to power the future of aviation. To learn more, visit www.archer.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward looking statements regarding Archer’s future business plans and goals, including statements regarding its aircraft performance, the timing of Archer’s development, commercialization, and certification of its eVTOL aircraft, intended use cases, the nature and benefits of collaborations between Archer and the Cleveland Clinic, and plans relating to infrastructure buildout and operations in the UAE. In addition, this press release refers to a memorandum of understanding that is conditioned on the future execution by the parties of additional binding definitive agreements incorporating the terms outlined in the memorandum of understanding, which definitive agreements may not be completed or may contain different terms than those set forth in the collaboration agreement. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors. The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted are more fully detailed in Archer’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, available at www.sec.gov. In addition, please note that any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that Archer believes to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. Archer undertakes no obligation to update these statements as a result of new information or future events.

Source: Archer

Text: ArcherIR

Image depicts simulated air taxi services at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's facilities.

Image depicts simulated air taxi services at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's facilities.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR), today announced plans to establish the first hospital-based vertiport in the United Arab Emirates, providing direct eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft access to one of the region’s most prominent hospital facilities.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR), today announced plans to establish the first hospital-based vertiport in the United Arab Emirates, providing direct eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft access to one of the region’s most prominent hospital facilities.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison Friday in the first verdict from eight criminal trials over the martial law debacle that forced him out of office and other allegations.

Yoon was impeached, arrested and dismissed as president after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024 triggered huge public protests calling for his ouster.

The most significant criminal charge against him alleges that his martial law enforcement amounted to a rebellion, and the independent counsel has requested the death sentence in the case that is to be decided in a ruling next month.

In Friday's case, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon for defying attempts to detain him, fabricating the martial law proclamation and sidestepping a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting.

Yoon has maintained he didn’t intend to place the country under military rule for an extended period, saying his decree was only meant to inform the people about the danger of the liberal-controlled parliament obstructing his agenda. But investigators have viewed Yoon’s decree as an attempt to bolster and prolong his rule, charging him with rebellion, abuse of power and other criminal offenses.

Judge Baek Dae-hyun said in the televised ruling that imposing “a grave punishment” was necessary because Yoon hasn’t shown remorse and has only repeated “hard-to-comprehend excuses.” The judge also restoring legal systems damaged by Yoon’s action was necessary.

Yoon, who can appeal the ruling, hasn’t immediately publicly responded to the ruling. But when the independent counsel demanded a 10-year prison term in the case, Yoon’s defense team accused them of being politically driven and lacking legal grounds to demand such “an excessive” sentence.

Prison sentences in the multiple, smaller trials Yoon faces would matter if he is spared the death penalty or life imprisonment at the rebellion trial.

Park SungBae, a lawyer who specializes in criminal law, said there is little chance the court would decide Yoon should face the death penalty in the rebellion case. He said the court will likely issue a life sentence or a sentence of 30 years or more in prison.

South Korea has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 1997 and courts rarely hand down death sentences. Park said the court would take into account that Yoon’s decree didn’t cause casualties and didn’t last long, although Yoon hasn’t shown genuine remorse for his action.

A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shouts slogans outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shouts slogans outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waits for a bus carrying former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waits for a bus carrying former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs as police officers stand guard outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs as police officers stand guard outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A picture of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is placed on a board as supporters gather outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A picture of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is placed on a board as supporters gather outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

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