Serbia signed a partnership agreement with US electric aircraft maker Archer Aviation on January 20 to introduce air taxi services, reviving President Aleksandar Vucic’s vision of introducing flying cars in Belgrade ahead of the specialised Expo 2027.

The project is part of Vucic’s push to showcase Serbia as a hub for advanced technology and attract foreign investment before the global exhibition, which the government has billed as a catalyst for economic growth.

The agreement was signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos by Serbia’s Finance Minister Sinisa Mali and Archer’s Chief Commercial Director Nikhil Goel, in the presence of Vucic and Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein.

Under the deal, Serbia selected Archer as its preferred partner for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and secured an option to purchase up to 25 of its Midnight aircraft, subject to regulatory approval. Mali said Archer would also serve as Serbia’s official air taxi partner for Expo 2027, which will be held in Belgrade from May to August that year.

Vucic said the partnership would bring cutting-edge American technology to Serbia. “It is important for us to cooperate technologically with one of the best and strongest companies in the world,” he was quoted by news agency Tanjug as saying.

The choice of a US manufacturer marks a shift from earlier public statements suggesting that flying taxis for Expo 2027 could come from China. Vucic floated the idea in 2024 after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Archer’s aircraft are still in the testing phase and will require certification before commercial operations can begin. Goldstein said the partnership followed a meeting with Vucic in Davos last year.

Vucic has previously said flying cars would debut in Serbia on December 1, 2026, as part of preparations for Expo 2027. The announcement was met with scepticism at home, with some media outlets ridiculing the plan as science fiction in a country still waiting for its first metro line after a century of promises.

The air taxi project is part of Serbia’s €17.8bn Leap into the Future – Serbia 2027 programme, which includes more than 300 projects ranging from the Expo site in Surčin and a new national stadium to hotels, residential developments and infrastructure upgrades.

Critics point to the contrast between plans for urban air mobility and Belgrade’s everyday transport problems, including ageing trams and repeatedly delayed metro construction, arguing that Serbia’s leapfrog development strategy does not benefit ordinary citizens and relies heavily on foreign investment and borrowing.

Vucic, however, has framed the projects as central to Serbia’s effort to attract global investors and showcase its modernisation drive, with Expo 2027 positioned as the country’s coming-out party.