Electric air taxis could eventually ferry concertgoers, sports fans, and visitors directly to and from L.A. LIVE, under a newly announced plan that Archer Aviation and AEG hope will be ready to support the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
AEG and Archer Aviation have announced an exclusive multi-year agreement to develop what would be Downtown L.A.’s first vertiport, a dedicated site for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
To mark the announcement, Archer unveiled its Midnight aircraft at L.A. LIVE on August 24, complete with its Team USA livery. The aircraft will remain on display to the public through today, Tuesday, August 25.
A new node in Archer’s L.A. air taxi network
The planned L.A. LIVE vertiport would integrate into Archer’s broader Los Angeles air taxi network, which already includes announced locations near SoFi Stadium, USC, and Hollywood Burbank Airport, with Hawthorne Airport serving as its central operational hub.
Once operational, the service aims to cut cross-city travel times from 1+ hours to between 10 and 20 minutes aboard Archer’s Midnight aircraft.
Midnight is an all-electric aircraft designed for urban point-to-point travel. It produces significantly less noise than a conventional helicopter, generates zero operating emissions, and is built with redundant safety systems targeting reliability comparable to commercial airliners.
The project remains in the planning stage. AEG and Archer say they have completed an initial feasibility study examining land use, airspace, power availability, and community impacts, while the next phase will focus on operational planning and the guest experience. Midnight has not yet been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for passenger service.
Olympic ambitions at L.A. Live
The partnership carries particular weight given Archer’s role as the Official Air Taxi Provider of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Team USA. The Downtown L.A. zone is set to host 18 sports across both Games, positioning L.A. LIVE as a potential showcase for urban air mobility during one of the largest sporting events in history.
LA28 has already sold 6 million tickets for the Olympic Games over two lottery-based ticket drops. Last week, the host committee announced that the next opportunity to buy tickets will be in 2027 on a first-come, first-served basis.
