Archer Aviation and sports and entertainment company AEG plan to develop an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vertiport at the L.A. Live sports and entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles.
Under the agreement, Archer will become the exclusive air taxi partner for L.A. Live. The planned vertiport is part of Archer’s wider effort to establish an air mobility network across Southern California.
Archer has previously identified planned vertiport locations at Los Angeles International Airport, Orange County, Santa Monica, Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach and Van Nuys. The company intends to use its Midnight eVTOL aircraft for passenger services between these locations.
“Working with AEG on an iconic project like this vertiport at L.A. LIVE gives us the opportunity to continue building the infrastructure needed for Southern California to lead in the next era of all-electric flight,” said Archer CEO and founder Adam Goldstein.
Archer is targeting urban journeys of 10 to 20 minutes using Midnight. The aircraft is designed to carry four passengers and a pilot, with a target range of 20 to 50 miles. It uses 12 electric motors and propellers with redundant systems and has a planned maximum speed of 150 mph.
The Midnight is currently undergoing certification with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Archer has also been developing its operational infrastructure and testing the aircraft as it prepares for passenger operations.
The company recently flew Midnight to an altitude of 7,000 feet, its highest altitude to date. The test was conducted to assess the aircraft’s performance at higher altitudes and its potential operation in areas with high-density air traffic. In a separate flight, Midnight covered 55 miles at speeds exceeding 126 mph during a conventional take-off and landing test.
Archer has also acquired Hawthorne Airport in California, which it plans to use as a central operational hub for its Los Angeles network.
In addition to aircraft development, Archer is working on aviation software. Its Zee AI foundation model is designed for use with air taxis, drones, and commercial aircraft and uses data including ADS-B, air traffic control communications, maps, weather, terrain, and aircraft-state information. The system is designed to operate on-device, offline, or through servers.
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Archer is targeting its first passenger-carrying operations in the UAE, where it received a Restricted Type Certification from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority. The company plans to operate Midnight in Abu Dhabi with Abu Dhabi Aviation as its local operating partner.
The planned L.A. Live vertiport would add another location to Archer’s proposed Southern California network and provide infrastructure for future eVTOL passenger operations in downtown Los Angeles.
