AEG and Archer Aviation Plan Downtown L.A.'s First Air Taxi Vertiport at L.A. Live

AEG has partnered with Archer Aviation to build a vertiport — a launch and landing pad for electric air taxis — at L.A. Live, the sports and entertainment district in Downtown Los Angeles, the companies announced on Monday, August 24. The site would be the first vertiport in Downtown L.A., and Archer would become the exclusive air taxi operator for the campus Billboard.

L.A. Live draws millions of visitors a year across Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater, The Novo, Regal L.A. LIVE cinemas, the GRAMMY Museum and the Los Angeles Convention Center. The plan is to have air taxis running across the network by the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics, covering every kind of event on the campus — basketball and hockey games, concerts, and ceremonies like the Grammy and BET Awards.

Archer intends to operate its Midnight aircraft, an all-electric model that carries one pilot and four passengers, with cruising speeds up to 150 mph. The company says a trip across Los Angeles County would take 10 to 20 minutes, compared with typical road traffic times. Archer states the Midnight is designed to share airspace with helicopters and small planes, and is quieter at cruising altitudes than conventional rotorcraft.

Pricing is being targeted at a level comparable to a premium rideshare like Uber Black, with costs expected to fall as the fleet and route network grow. The L.A. Live vertiport would join a planned network of takeoff and landing sites at Los Angeles International Airport, the University of Southern California, Orange County, Santa Monica, Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach and Van Nuys.

The project is still in its first phase. AEG Global Partnerships president and COO Nick Baker told Billboard that the specific vertiport location and permit logistics at L.A. Live are expected to be decided soon. The two companies have completed an initial feasibility study covering land-use and airspace reviews, power availability, and community impact.

Archer's L.A. ambitions extend beyond L.A. Live. The company has been coordinating with the Los Angeles Rams and Hollywood Park — the 300-acre district centred on SoFi Stadium — for a potential exclusive vertiport in that area. Archer has also been building its credentials across the city's major-event calendar. In May 2025, LA28 named it the Official Air Taxi Provider of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games LA28. That October, the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission named Archer its exclusive Air Taxi Partner, a designation that also covers the 2026 FIFA World Cup host city and Super Bowl LXI host committee PR Newswire.

Archer first announced its Southern California air taxi network plans in August 2024, targeting a launch as soon as 2026. The company's stated goal is to begin L.A. operations this year, with a runway of time to have the system fully functional before the Olympics arrive.