A Volocopter unmanned air taxi transport flies over Marina Bay during test flight with a safety pilot at the 26th Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress (ITSWC) in Singapore on October 22, 2019. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP) (Photo by ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Los Angeles, California – In a historic first for the Olympic Games, fans and VIPs attending the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will be able to travel to venues by air taxi. Archer Aviation, a California-based aerospace company, announced Thursday that its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) Midnight will serve as the first-ever air taxis deployed during an Olympic Games.
The sleek, piloted aircraft will carry up to four passengers at a time, connecting key Olympic locations in the Los Angeles area via a network of “vertiports” — takeoff and landing hubs located at or near major venues. The short flights are expected to take between 10 and 20 minutes, offering a swift and futuristic alternative to navigating LA’s often congested roadways.
Planned vertiport locations include SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which are set to co-host the opening and closing ceremonies. Additional sites in the Archer network will include Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Orange County.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America,” said Archer CEO and founder Adam Goldstein. “There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games.”
Archer Elevation designed the Midnight aircraft for sustainability and safety, with significantly lower noise and emissions than traditional helicopters. The eVTOL vehicle features 12 engines and propellers and is equipped with redundant systems to achieve Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification at safety levels comparable to commercial airliners.
Archer manufactures the aircraft in San Jose, California, and Covington, Georgia. In addition to transporting attendees, the company will support emergency services and security operations during the Games.
As an official partner of the LA 2028 Olympics, Paralympics, and Team USA, Archer’s inclusion reflects the event’s broader ambition to showcase innovation and redefine the Games experience.
“Our vision is to fundamentally reimagine the Olympic and Paralympic Games experience,” said LA28 chairperson and president Casey Wasserman. “This partnership represents an incredible opportunity to deliver something unprecedented.”
With LA’s notoriously complex traffic and a global spotlight on the city in 2028, Archer’s air taxis may set a new standard for event transportation — and offer a glimpse into the future of urban mobility.
