Los Angeles is set to add its first planned downtown hub for electric air taxis, with Archer Aviation and AEG announcing Monday that they intend to build a vertiport at L.A. LIVE in time for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The proposed site would function as a takeoff and landing center for Archer’s Midnight aircraft, an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle built for quick trips through dense urban areas.
Under the partnership, Archer will become the exclusive air taxi provider for L.A. LIVE, AEG’s four-million-square-foot sports and entertainment district located next to Crypto.com Arena.
Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said the downtown vertiport would be a centerpiece of the company’s planned Los Angeles air taxi network.
“We see this as a one-of-a-kind opportunity to add a flagship downtown location to our planned Los Angeles air taxi network ahead of the LA28 Games,” Goldstein said.
If completed, the facility would give fans, athletes, performers and other visitors a new way to reach the downtown entertainment corridor, potentially bypassing some of Los Angeles’ most traffic-clogged streets.
Archer says its Los Angeles air taxi network is being designed to shorten cross-city travel to about 10 to 20 minutes, including routes that can take an hour or more by car.
The company has already outlined additional planned air taxi locations at SoFi Stadium, USC and Hollywood Burbank, with Hawthorne Airport expected to operate as the network’s central hub.
The project is also being developed with the 2028 Games in mind. Archer is the Official Air Taxi Provider of LA28 and Team USA, while L.A. LIVE is expected to host 19 Olympic and Paralympic sports during the Games.
That could make the proposed downtown vertiport a potentially important piece of transportation infrastructure as Los Angeles prepares to accommodate millions of visitors for the international sporting event.
“We are thrilled to pursue this endeavor with Archer to enhance the fan experience around the major sports and live-entertainment events we host,” said Nick Baker, president and chief operating officer of AEG Global Partnerships.
“This is an ambitious project and exactly the kind of 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 L.A. LIVE.”
The companies have already completed an initial feasibility study examining land use, airspace, available power and potential community impacts. They are now reviewing operational plans and how passengers would use the facility.
The proposed vertiport is also expected to feature electric aviation chargers supplied by BETA as part of Archer’s ACES consortium, an effort aimed at establishing standardized charging infrastructure for air taxi operations.
Archer says its Midnight aircraft produces zero operating emissions and significantly less noise than conventional helicopters.
The aircraft also uses redundant systems as part of the company’s effort to achieve safety levels comparable to commercial airliners.
Archer and AEG will unveil a Midnight aircraft featuring a new “Team USA” Olympic livery at L.A. LIVE on Aug. 24. The aircraft will remain on public display through Aug. 25.
