Archer Aviation and AEG are to develop downtown Los Angeles' first vertiport at L.A. LIVE, AEG's four-million-square-foot sports and entertainment district. The agreement, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, makes Archer the exclusive air taxi partner of L.A. LIVE.

The site adds a downtown stop to Archer's wider planned Los Angeles network, which was first outlined in 2024 with proposed vertiports at locations including LAX, Orange County, Santa Monica, Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach and Van Nuys, and a goal of beginning operations as early as 2026, with Midnight designed to travel at speeds up to 150mph and fly back-to-back sectors of 20 to 50 miles. Archer has since signed definitive agreements to acquire Hawthorne Airport, an 80-acre site with around 190,000 sq ft of terminal, office and hangar space built in the 1920s and formerly known as Jack Northrop Field, for the network's operational hub, sitting less than three miles from LAX and close to SoFi Stadium, The Forum, Intuit Dome and downtown LA. The acquisition remains subject to closing conditions including approval from the City of Hawthorne.

Nick Baker, president and chief operating officer of AEG Global Partnerships, says: “This is an ambitious project and exactly the kind of forward-thinking collaboration that blends infrastructure and technology in service of our fans, visitors and the broader community around major sports and live-entertainment events hosted at L.A. LIVE.”

Archer founder and chief executive Adam Goldstein adds: “We see this as a one-of-a-kind opportunity to add a flagship downtown location to our planned Los Angeles air taxi network ahead of the LA28 Games.”

AEG and Archer have completed an initial feasibility study covering land use, airspace, power availability and community impact, with a second phase reviewing operational approach and guest experience under way. The site is planned to use Beta Technologies chargers as part of the companies' ACES consortium.

The project supports Archer's role as official air taxi provider for the LA28 Games and Team USA under an exclusive deal covering the US territory, through which Midnight is intended to transport VIPs, fans and stakeholders while electrifying vertiport hubs at key venues and supporting emergency services and security.