AEG, Archer plan downtown Los Angeles air taxi hub at L.A. LIVE ahead of 2028 Olympics
The Sporting Tribune
Host · Writer
LOS ANGELES — AEG and Archer Aviation are planning to develop downtown Los Angeles’ first vertiport at L.A. LIVE, establishing a potential hub for electric air taxi service in the heart of the city’s sports and entertainment district ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The companies announced an exclusive multiyear partnership that designates Archer as the official air taxi provider of L.A. LIVE. The proposed vertical takeoff and landing site would connect the four-million-square-foot downtown campus with Archer’s planned network across Los Angeles, which is also expected to include SoFi Stadium, USC and Hollywood Burbank Airport.
Archer’s recently acquired Hawthorne Airport is slated to serve as the network’s central operating hub.
The partnership is part of Archer’s preparation for the 2028 Games after the company was previously named the official air taxi provider of LA28 and Team USA. L.A. LIVE and the surrounding downtown zone will serve as a major Olympic and Paralympic hub, hosting events across 19 sports.
“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.”
L.A. LIVE sits adjacent to Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center and includes Peacock Theater, The Novo, the Grammy Museum, Regal Cinemas and several restaurants, hotels and hospitality venues. Crypto.com Arena is home to the Lakers, Kings and Sparks and hosts hundreds of sporting events, concerts and other live productions each year.
The proposed vertiport would allow fans, athletes, entertainers and visitors to fly to and from downtown aboard Archer’s Midnight aircraft. Designed for short, point-to-point trips, the all-electric aircraft is intended to turn drives that can take more than an hour in Los Angeles traffic into flights lasting approximately 10 to 20 minutes.
Archer says the Midnight produces substantially less noise than a traditional helicopter and generates no operating emissions. The aircraft is also being designed with redundant systems as the company targets safety standards comparable to those of commercial airliners.
“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,” Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said. “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.”
AEG and Archer have completed an initial feasibility study examining land use, airspace, electrical power availability and the potential effect on the surrounding community. The companies are now reviewing the operational plan and guest experience, although they did not announce a construction schedule or projected opening date.
The site is planned to include electric aviation chargers developed by BETA Technologies as part of Archer’s ACES consortium, an initiative focused on establishing standardized charging infrastructure at 250 aviation sites across the country by 2030.
To launch the partnership, Archer will display its Midnight aircraft at L.A. LIVE and unveil a special Team USA Olympic design on Aug. 24 at 9:30 a.m. The aircraft will remain on public display through Aug. 25.
