Acquisition Of Hawthorne Airport As Strategic Hub for Archer’s Planned LA Air Taxi Network and Testbed For AI-Powered Technologies Under Development
Archer has signed a series of definitive agreements to acquire control of a one-of-a-kind Los Angeles asset, Hawthorne Airport for $126M in cash. The airport is located in the heart of L.A., sits on an 80-acre site and includes approximately 190,000 square feet of terminal, office and hangar facilities.
The historic Hawthorne Airport was built in the 1920s and once helped shape Southern California’s aerospace legacy and is also known as Jack Northrop Field. It is strategically located less than three miles from LAX, and is the closest airport to some of the city’s biggest attractions — SoFi Stadium, The Forum, Intuit Dome, and Downtown L.A.
Archer plans for the airport to serve as its operational hub for its planned L.A. air taxi network operations, including serving a key role in the LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games.
Archer also plans to utilize the airport as an innovation testbed for the next-generation AI-powered aviation technologies that it is developing and planning to deploy with its airline and technology partners. This includes AI-powered air traffic and ground operations management, in addition to other key technologies.
Expanded Midnight’s Piloted Flight Envelope with Record Milestones
Archer continued advancing Midnight’s flight test program, completing its longest piloted flight to date, a 55-mile flight lasting 31 minutes at speeds exceeding 126 mph, and its highest altitude flight, reaching 10,000 feet.
Additionally, Midnight flew demonstration flights on both days of the California International Airshow allowing tens of thousands of spectators to experience how quiet the aircraft is in flight. This flight testing progress underscores Midnight’s continued path towards performance maturity.