Soaring Over Gridlock - LA Olympics Gets Sky Taxis
Image Credit: Archer Aviation.
Right then, let's talk about the future, shall we? Specifically, the future that involves getting from point A to point B in the delightful sprawl that is Los Angeles. If you've ever attempted this feat using conventional, ground-based machinery – what we old-timers call 'cars' – you'll know it usually involves extended periods of introspection, questioning your life choices, and wondering if walking wouldn't just be faster. Well, the times are changing, and something rather airy is planned for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Archer Aviation has decided that sitting in traffic is for peasants. And who am I to argue? Their solution? Little electric flying machines. eVTOLs, if you want to get technical and sound terribly important. These gizmos, specifically their 'Midnight' model, are set to become the official airborne chariots for the LA28 Olympics. While the rest of us are probably still queuing for a lukewarm hotdog or trying to find parking that doesn't require a second mortgage, the VIPs, athletes, and presumably anyone who can sweet-talk their way into the right seat, will be buzzing about overhead.
Archer's goal, and a rather ambitious one it is, is to get these electric whirlybirds providing commercial air taxi services here in the good ol' U.S. of A. They've been busy little bees, signing deals left, right, and center – Japan, the UAE, and closer to home, they've mapped out plans for New York City. Imagine zipping between JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark airports without ever touching the asphalt jungle below. Sounds appealing enough to make you forget the inevitable security pat-down.
Image Credit: Archer Aviation.
Los Angeles has been on their radar for a bit longer. Plans were apparently floated back in August of 2024, and the idea was to kick off operations sometime in 2026. The Olympic gig isn't just a sudden burst of patriotic enthusiasm; it seems they were already plotting their aerial invasion of the Golden State. The partnership makes it official though – Archer has landed the exclusive rights to ferry folks around during the Games.
This means their Midnight aircraft will be integrated into the transport system for the event and hauling Olympic dignitaries, adoring fans (those with deep pockets, I'd wager), and company bigwigs. And these flying taxis might even lend a hand to emergency services and security. When you think about the sheer number of people expected for the Games – over 15 million visitors from across the globe – it sounds like a genuinely useful application, provided they can actually get off the ground reliably.
Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein is naturally rather excited about all this. He's talking about transforming transportation in LA, leaving a lasting legacy, and seeing his Midnight craft with the Team USA logo and the Olympic Rings on it. And credit where it's due - tackling LA traffic is a big deal. Though I suspect the legacy might primarily involve a select few getting to venues slightly less frazzled than everyone else.
Image Credit: Archer Aviation.
Where will these sky-bound marvels be landing? The plan is to set up shop, or rather, 'vertiports' at key locations: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, the historic Memorial Coliseum over at USC, LAX airport (naturally), Hollywood (because of course), Orange County, and Santa Monica. Imagine flying into LAX and simply hopping onto a quiet, electric craft that whisks you away towards your destination. Beats queuing for a shuttle bus or explaining to a weary taxi driver exactly where you need to go.
We don't have figures on the dimensions, horsepower, battery capacity in kilowatt-hours, or how quickly the Midnight can launch itself skyward. We also don't know the price of one of these things, which I imagine is somewhere north of 'my retirement fund' and possibly approaching 'small island nation'. Though the company's stock is trading under the rather catchy ticker symbol $ACHR, if you fancy a flutter on the future of flight.
What we do know is where they plan to build these things. Seems they'll be assembling them in San Jose, California, which makes sense, being in the heart of tech-land. But Archer also put up a new facility down in Covington, Georgia. Spreading the love (and the manufacturing jobs) across the country, which is rather nice to see.
The 2028 LA Olympics might just be the proving ground for America's first widespread air taxi service. Will it be a glorious success, a seamless network of electric flight whisking people around effortlessly? Or will it be a slightly chaotic, expensive novelty for the privileged few? We'll know in just a couple of years.
