AEG and Archer Aviation Plan Downtown Los Angeles Vertiport at L.A. LIVE for Electric Air Taxi Service
Why It MattersThe agreement extends eVTOL infrastructure planning into major urban entertainment districts, tying air taxi network buildout directly to venue partnerships and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
AEG and Archer Aviation have signed a multi-year agreement to develop what would be downtown Los Angeles' first vertiport for electric air taxis, to be located at L.A. LIVE, AEG's four-million-square-foot sports and entertainment district. The deal, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, also designates Archer as the exclusive air taxi partner of L.A. LIVE, whose venues include Peacock Theater, The Novo, the GRAMMY Museum and Regal L.A. LIVE cinemas.
The planned vertiport would serve as a downtown stop in Archer's developing Los Angeles air taxi network, with passengers travelling aboard the company's Midnight electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Archer is designing its network around flight times of roughly 10 to 20 minutes, aiming to cut car journeys that can currently take an hour or more. Other planned network locations include SoFi Stadium, USC and Hollywood Burbank Airport, while Archer's recently acquired Hawthorne Airport is expected to serve as a central operating hub.
AEG and Archer have completed an initial feasibility study covering land use, airspace, available power and potential community impact, and are now reviewing site operations and the passenger experience. The planned site would use electric aviation chargers from BETA Technologies through the ACES consortium, an initiative developing standardised charging infrastructure for electric aircraft.
The project is also linked to preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. Archer was named the Official Air Taxi Provider of LA28 and Team USA in 2025, with plans to use Midnight aircraft to transport fans, VIPs and other stakeholders between venues. The downtown Los Angeles zone is expected to host 18 Olympic and Paralympic sports. Archer's Midnight aircraft is a piloted eVTOL designed to carry up to four passengers, which the company states produces less noise than a conventional helicopter and generates no operating emissions. Archer is working toward Federal Aviation Administration certification and commercial operations.
