"The planned site at L.A. Live will add a key downtown location to Archer's previously announced Los Angeles network, giving fans, artists, and visitors the ability to travel to and from the district in Archer's Midnight aircraft," Archer and AEG said in a joint statement. "Designed for local, point-to-point urban air taxi travel, the goal of Archer's planned L.A. network is to enable people to move across the city in just 10 to 20 minutes aboard Midnight, turning commutes that can take an hour or more on the ground into short all-electric flights."
Archer previously announced plans for its network of vertiports -- where the drone-like aircraft will pick up and drop off passengers -- to include SoFi Stadium, USC and Hollywood Burbank Airport, with the company's recently acquired Hawthorne Airport as its central operational hub.
"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," said Nick Baker, AEG's president and chief operating officer.
AEG and Archer have completed the initial feasibility study for the L.A. Live site, including land-use and airspace reviews, power availability and community impact, according to the news release. The next phase, reviewing operational approach and guest experience, is underway.
The air taxi unveiled at L.A. Live on Monday was brought there by truck and has not yet been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for flight. The aircraft has a range of 100 miles and can hold four passengers.
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In an interview with ABC7, Miles Rogers, Archer's chief marketing officer, compared the speed of air taxis to slower car travel.
"You look at these 90-minute, sometimes 2-hour rides to get to downtown Los Angeles," Rogers said. "These will be 10-to-15-minute flights.
"We're excited to get the economics down to Uber Black pricing eventually," Rogers said. "As we get started, there'll be a few of these aircraft, and then as we add more to the fleet, pricing will come down more and more."
Archer is the official air taxi provider for the LA28 Olympic games.
In September 2024, another company, Joby Aviation, showed off one of its electric air taxis at The Grove. At the time, Joby officials said they too hoped have their air taxi service up and running in Los Angeles in time for the 2028 Olympics.