AEG and Archer Aviation have announced a collaboration to develop a vertiport for electric air taxis at L.A. LIVE, AEG’s four-million-square-foot sports and entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles. The agreement, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, makes Archer the exclusive air taxi partner of L.A. LIVE.
The planned facility would become downtown Los Angeles’ first vertiport, providing a vertical takeoff and landing location for Archer’s electric air taxi operations. The site is intended to add a key downtown location to Archer’s planned Los Angeles air taxi network and enable fans, artists and visitors to travel to and from L.A. LIVE aboard Archer’s Midnight aircraft.
L.A. LIVE includes Peacock Theater, The Novo, Regal L.A. LIVE cinemas and the GRAMMY Museum, along with restaurants, bars and hospitality venues. The district is adjacent to the Los Angeles Convention Center and AEG-owned Crypto.com Arena, the official home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, the NHL’s LA Kings and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.
Archer’s planned Los Angeles network is designed for local, point-to-point urban air taxi travel. The company aims to enable journeys across the city in approximately 10 to 20 minutes aboard Midnight, replacing some ground journeys that can take an hour or more with all-electric flights.
Archer has previously announced plans for the network to include SoFi Stadium, USC and Hollywood Burbank, with the recently acquired Hawthorne Airport planned as its central operational hub. Midnight is designed to produce significantly less noise than a traditional helicopter and has zero operating emissions. The aircraft also incorporates redundant systems as Archer targets safety levels comparable with commercial airliners.
“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, 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.”
“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 Adam Goldstein, Founder and CEO of Archer.
AEG and Archer have completed an initial feasibility study for the proposed L.A. LIVE site. The study included land-use and airspace reviews, power availability and community impact. The partners are now reviewing the operational approach and guest experience as they work toward establishing the site as Los Angeles’ first downtown vertiport.
The planned site is expected to use BETA Technologies’ electric aviation chargers as part of the companies’ recently announced ACES consortium. The consortium aims to establish a standardised charging foundation to support the expansion of air taxi operations in and around major metropolitan areas.
The partnership also supports Archer’s preparations in Los Angeles as the Official Air Taxi Provider of the LA28 Games and Team USA. With the Downtown Los Angeles zone scheduled to host 18 sports across the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the project is intended to position L.A. LIVE and downtown Los Angeles as a showcase for urban air mobility innovation ahead of the Games.
Archer will also unveil its Team USA livery with a display of its Midnight aircraft at L.A. LIVE on the morning of August 24 at 9:30 a.m. PT. The aircraft display will remain open to the public through August 25.
Commenting on the expansion of Archer’s planned Los Angeles air taxi network, Adam Goldstein said, “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.”
