Spectators at the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles may fly from venue to venue in a futuristic new aircraft, which takes off like a helicopter but soars on fixed wings like a plane—for the price of a high-end Uber.
LA28, the committee organizing the global spectacle, on Thursday announced that California-based Archer Aviation will serve as the Summer Games’ official air taxi provider. The manufacturer will install vertiports—electrified takeoff and landing hubs—at event sites including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Passengers will be able to hop between locations in as little as 10 minutes, Archer said in a statement.
“Our vision is to fundamentally reimagine the Olympic and Paralympic Games experience, and this partnership represents an incredible opportunity to deliver something unprecedented, showcasing the very best of what Los Angeles has to offer on the world stage,” said Casey Wasserman, president and chairperson of LA28, in remarks accompanying the announcement.
Archer’s flagship air taxi is the piloted, four-passenger Midnight: an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) model designed for back-to-back, 20-50 sm trips, requiring only about 10 minutes to juice up at a vertiport. The model’s six battery packs power a dozen electric motors and propellers, half of which are capable of rotating to support both vertical and forward flight. The company is working with the FAA to type certify Midnight ahead of its commercial launch, which it anticipates as soon as this year.
At launch, the air taxi will fly passengers from city centers to major airports in areas such as New York and Chicago in partnership with longtime investor United Airlines. United and its regional operator, Mesa Airlines, have each committed to purchase 100 aircraft. Air taxi service in the United Arab Emirates, though, is expected to come first. Archer on Monday said it would deliver Midnight to launch customer Abu Dhabi Aviation—the Middle East’s largest commercial helicopter operator—as early as this summer.
The World Stage
Last year, Archer added Los Angeles to its plans, which on Thursday began to take clearer shape.
In July, it struck a deal with Southwest Airlines to develop air taxi routes connecting the carrier’s terminals across California. The following month, it formally announced its target to launch in Los Angeles by 2026. Its planned network would include hubs at Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX), Orange County (KSNA), Santa Monica (KSMO), Hollywood Burbank (KBUR), Long Beach (KLGB), Van Nuys (KVNY), and the University of Southern California.
With the LA Games expected to attract tens of millions of spectators, the event is a prime opportunity for Archer to introduce a new model of transportation to the world—and get more Americans comfortable flying on Midnight.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer. “There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games.”
Passenger transport appears to be the primary focus for the partners. But Archer said Midnight could also assist security and emergency services. The company is developing a hybrid-electric variant with those and other defense applications in mind.
The collaboration further “includes access to storytelling throughout NBCUniversal’s 2026 and 2028 Olympic Games coverage, including moments like the 2028 opening and closing ceremonies in Los Angeles,” as well as “support for Team USA through LA28,” Archer said. The manufacturer on Thursday shared images of Midnight decked out in a Team USA-themed livery.
Archer did not immediately respond to FLYING’s inquiry. LA28 declined to share more details beyond those included in its press release.
It is not yet clear what kind of approval the partners will need to obtain from the FAA or city officials. Ahead of the 2024 Games in Paris, local officials opposed eVTOL developer Volocopter’s plans to ferry passengers around the event, ironically citing—among other things—the environmental impact of the company’s zero-emission VoloCity. Critics said the aircraft requires more energy to charge up than an electric car would. Other critiques centered around noise, public safety, and the inaccessibility of the service beyond the ultra wealthy.
Ultimately, Volocopter conducted a pair of test flights during the event. But the company in January ran out of cash and was acquired by the Chinese parent company of Diamond Aircraft, setting back development of its air taxi.
Archer will hope to avoid a similar letdown. But the establishment of a partnership with event organizers would appear to be a major vote of confidence in Midnight. The manufacturer completed more than 400 test flights in 2024 and has obtained Part 135 air carrier, Part 141 flight training, and Part 145 repair station permissions from the FAA.
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