The collaboration supports Archer’s preparations for the LA28 Games as the Official Air Taxi Provider of LA28 and Team USA, with the DTLA Zone serving as a central hub for 18 Olympic and Paralympic sports.
AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company, and Archer Aviation announced a collaboration to develop downtown Los Angeles’ first vertiport 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.
L.A. LIVE is a premier sports and live entertainment district, anchored by Peacock Theater, The Novo, Regal L.A. LIVE cinemas and the GRAMMY Museum, along with a mix of restaurants, bars and hospitality venues that draw millions of visitors each year for concerts, special events and live entertainment. The district sits adjacent to The Los Angeles Convention Center and AEG-owned, Crypto.com Arena which is the official home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, the NHL’s LA Kings and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, as well as host to hundreds of games, concerts and world-class live entertainment events each year.
The planned site at L.A. LIVE will add a key downtown location to Archer’s previously announced Los Angeles network, giving fans, artists, and visitors the ability to travel to and from the district in Archer’s Midnight aircraft.
Designed for local, point-to-point urban air taxi travel, the goal of Archer’s planned LA network is to enable people to move across the city in just 10 to 20 minutes aboard Midnight, turning commutes that can take an hour or more on the ground into short all-electric flights. Archer has previously announced plans for its network to include SoFi Stadium, USC, and Hollywood Burbank, with Archer’s recently acquired Hawthorne Airport as its planned central operational hub. Midnight produces far less noise compared to a traditional helicopter and zero operating emissions. The aircraft is built with redundant systems allowing Archer to target safety at levels of 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 Archer’s Founder and CEO, Adam Goldstein.
AEG and Archer have completed the initial feasibility study for the L.A. LIVE site, including land-use and airspace reviews, power availability and community impact. The next phase, reviewing operational approach and guest experience, is currently underway as the partners work toward establishing the site as Los Angeles’ first downtown vertiport. The site is planned to be built with BETA Technologies’ electric aviation chargers as part of the companies’ recently announced ACES consortium, which aims to build the standardized charging foundation required to scale air taxi operations in and around major metropolitan areas.
The partnership supports Archer’s preparations in Los Angeles as the Official Air Taxi Provider of the LA28 Games and Team USA. Additionally, with the DTLA Zone hosting 18 sports across the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the project positions L.A. LIVE and downtown LA as a showcase for urban air mobility innovation ahead of the Games.