Los Angeles has its eyes on the skies as a potential solution to road traffic congestion ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games, following an announcement by Californian aviation manufacturer Archer, in partnership with AEG Entertainment.
The pair are seeking to develop LA’s first-ever “vertiport” – a transport hub that allows electric air taxis to take off and land vertically. The facility is planned for LA Live, a district centred on sports and leisure and home to the Peacock Theatre, The Novo, the GRAMMY Museum and other entertainment and hospitality venues. It is also close to the Crypto.com Arena and Los Angeles Convention Center, and has been described as a “flagship downtown location” by Archer founder and chief executive Adam Goldstein.
The goal is for air taxis from LA Live to fan out across an entire network, with destinations including Hollywood Burbank Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, SoFi Stadium and the University of Southern California also in the pipeline.
As for the aircraft, having been selected as the official air taxi provider for the LA28 Games, Archer is continuing work on “Midnight,” a fully electric eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) with room for four passengers. The air taxi’s “Team USA” livery was unveiled at the same time as the LA Live vertiport announcement. The cockpit and fuselage are sleek black and white, with a bright blue tail, discreet red stripes and modest Team USA lettering.
Archer has yet to complete all the steps necessary to secure regulatory approval for the aircraft. Alongside AEG, it must also undertake feasibility studies for the LA Live vertiport, scrutinising land use, airspace capacity, power infrastructure and community impact.
Nick Baker, president and chief operating officer of AEG Global Partnerships, hailed the project as an opportunity to “enhance the fan experience around the major sports and live-entertainment events we host,” and said it required “forward-thinking collaboration that blends infrastructure and technology in service of our fans, visitors, and the broader community around major sports and live-entertainment events hosted at LA LIVE.”
Part of that passenger experience is Midnight’s maximum speed of 241.4 km/h, fast enough to significantly cut journey times compared to travelling by car across the City of Angels. For instance, a 14-minute air taxi journey from Hollywood Burbank Airport to SoFi Stadium could cut the equivalent road journey by around 45 minutes. SoFi, now officially designated as the 2028 Stadium, is a key venue for the global sporting event, co-hosting the opening ceremony and housing the largest swimming pool in Olympic history.
The wider region and its tourism offer could be set to benefit from Archer’s Midnight air service too, as the firm promises to fly visitors to Newport Harbor in Orange County for dolphin and whale-watching excursions in just 12 minutes, compared with nearly an hour by car.
