Archer Aviation and AEG are planning to develop a vertiport at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles, creating a proposed landing and takeoff site for Archer’s electric Midnight aircraft. The agreement makes Archer the exclusive air taxi partner of L.A. LIVE and adds a downtown location to the company’s planned Los Angeles air taxi network.
L.A. LIVE Vertiport Planned for Electric Air Taxis
The proposed vertiport would allow passengers to travel to and from L.A. LIVE using Archer’s Midnight aircraft.
Archer says the electric aircraft is designed for cross-city journeys of approximately 10 to 20 minutes that could otherwise require an hour or more by road.
L.A. LIVE is a four-million-square-foot sports and entertainment district adjacent to Crypto.com Arena, which hosts the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Kings and Los Angeles Sparks. The district attracts millions of visitors each year for sporting events, concerts and other entertainment.
The planned vertiport would provide Archer with its first proposed downtown Los Angeles location as the company develops a broader network across the metropolitan area.
Other locations previously announced by Archer include SoFi Stadium, USC, Hollywood Burbank and Hawthorne Airport, which is planned as the network’s central hub.
Feasibility Study Completed
Archer and AEG have completed an initial feasibility study examining land use, airspace, power availability and potential community impacts associated with the proposed facility.
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The partners have now moved into the next phase, which will focus on the operational approach and passenger experience.
The planned charging infrastructure would use electric aviation chargers from BETA Technologies through the ACES consortium. The consortium is working to establish standardised charging infrastructure for electric air taxi operations across major metropolitan areas.
Vertiport Planned Ahead of LA28 Games
The partnership also supports Archer’s role as the official air taxi provider of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The downtown Los Angeles area is scheduled to host 18 Olympic and Paralympic sports during the Games. Archer and AEG intend for the proposed L.A. LIVE vertiport to serve as a showcase location for urban air mobility during the event.
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Archer unveiled a Team USA livery for its Midnight aircraft at L.A. LIVE on August 24, further linking the proposed facility with the company’s preparations for the LA28 Games.
The L.A. LIVE project remains in development, with the next phase of planning focused on determining how the vertiport would operate and how passengers would use the facility.
