Archer Aviation and sports and entertainment group AEG announced Monday in Los Angeles that they will build a vertiport at the downtown L.A. LIVE complex, designating Archer as the exclusive air taxi operator for the district. The two parties have included this facility in the transportation preparations leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics. The aircraft has not yet received approval for commercial passenger flights in Los Angeles, and no construction start or launch dates have been announced for the vertiport.

What was finalized on Monday is a partnership, not the start of flight operations. The two companies signed a multi-year exclusive agreement that makes Archer the sole air taxi provider at L.A. LIVE, AEG's approximately 4 million square foot sports and entertainment district in the city center, located adjacent to Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center. The company describes this as the first publicly announced vertiport location in downtown Los Angeles. Founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said this represents an opportunity to add a flagship downtown location to the already planned Los Angeles network ahead of the 28th Olympics. Nick Baker, president of global partnerships and chief operating officer at AEG, said the project remains an ambitious plan aimed at layering infrastructure and technology onto the sports and live entertainment events hosted at the district.

At 9:30 a.m. Monday, a Midnight aircraft painted in Team USA livery was displayed at L.A. LIVE, with the exhibit running until August 25. Local reports noted the display aircraft was trucked in overnight to the plaza, and the Federal Aviation Administration has not yet approved this aircraft for commercial passenger operations in Los Angeles.

As for where the facility stands, the two companies have completed an initial feasibility study for the site, covering land use, airspace, power supply, and community impact. The next phase involves developing operational procedures and passenger screening pathways, though no specific takeoff and landing coordinates have been publicly provided. Whether the facility will be located on a rooftop, in a parking structure, or as a new building has not been specified in the announcement. Charging infrastructure is planned to integrate BETA Technologies' electric aviation charging equipment under the ACES alliance framework, which aims to establish a scalable standard charging foundation across major metropolitan areas by around 2030. This remains a planning statement, not an operational charging station. No launch date was included in the press release, with both parties only stating they hope to add this downtown link to the network before the 2028 Olympics. Construction permits, final airspace approvals, noise considerations, and community procedures were not listed as completed items in the announcement.

The Midnight is a piloted electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that transitions to wing-borne flight after vertical liftoff. Company-designated specifications include seating for up to four passengers, a top speed of approximately 150 miles per hour, a range of about 100 miles, zero emissions during operation, and lower noise compared to traditional helicopters. The aircraft features 12 motors and propellers, with the company stating its redundancy design targets commercial airliner safety standards. These are design goals and certification application figures, not operating schedules for Los Angeles flights. Company marketing executive Miles Rogers told local television that typical ground commutes of 90 minutes to two hours to downtown would correspond to a flight time target of 10 to 15 minutes, while the company's standard public messaging cites 10 to 20 minutes. A separate completed demonstration involved round-trip flights between Salinas and Monterey, California, with a one-way flight time of about 9 minutes compared to a ground drive of over 35 minutes. That was an out-of-town demonstration, not a Los Angeles route.

Publicly named Los Angeles network nodes include SoFi Stadium, the University of Southern California, Hollywood Burbank Airport, and Hawthorne Airport as the operational hub. Earlier plans also mentioned Los Angeles International Airport, Santa Monica, and Orange County. Local reports count the L.A. LIVE location as the 11th planned vertiport in the company's greater Los Angeles network. These locations remain plans, not ticketed routes. Archer has completed the third of four stages in the Midnight type certification process, with the fourth stage currently underway. The company is also preparing for earlier operations in Texas, Florida, and New York under the federal electric vertical takeoff and landing integration pilot program, with a timeframe mentioned for 2026. Commercial passenger service in Los Angeles remains contingent on type certification and local vertiport permitting.

Archer was previously named the official air taxi provider for the Los Angeles 28th Olympics, Paralympics, and Team USA. The company plans to transport guests, spectators, and other associated personnel during the Games. The announcement stated the downtown Los Angeles competition zone will host 18 Olympic and Paralympic events, with L.A. LIVE positioned as a transportation node within that area. The official partnership announced in May 2025 already included SoFi Stadium, the Memorial Coliseum, and airports in the network vision. What was added Monday is the downtown vertiport collaboration, not a redesignation of official status. A second electric air taxi company operates in the same city, with Joby Aviation having displayed an aircraft at The Grove in September 2024 and expressing hopes of launching Los Angeles service before the 2028 Olympics. Neither company has yet sold regular commercial tickets in Los Angeles. On the L.A. LIVE side, the takeoff and landing coordinates, construction start date, launch date, and Federal Aviation Administration clearance for commercial passenger operations have not yet been finalized in any documentation. What was finalized Monday is the exclusive partnership, completion of the first feasibility study phase, and a painted demonstrator aircraft trucked into the plaza.