Archer Aviation, one of the leading electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturers, has revealed plans for a Los Angeles air mobility network in Southern California, US with hopes to launch services by 2026.
The ambitious plan includes vertiports at a range of high-profile locations around the city and its surrounding areas including Los Angeles International Airport, Hollywood Burbank, and Santa Monica.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Bryan Bernhard, Archer’s chief growth & infrastructure officer (CGIO), told Airport Technology the city’s infamous traffic congestion problems made it an ideal area to showcase the potential of its Midnight eVTOL aircraft as people were “begging for this service” to provide short flights across LA instead of spending hours in traffic.
While the city has been investing in major rail projects to improve connectivity and alleviate congestion, including new metro lines and two major high speed rail lines to Las Vegas and San Francisco, Bernhard said urban air mobility projects provided smaller and quicker investments to address the issues.
He said: “The cost to stand up a vertiport, compared to the cost of expanding the I-405 (highway) or a rail system is hundreds to thousands of millions versus billions of dollars.”
“We think it’s a lightweight way to offer a real groundbreaking transportation service and though we may only have four passengers [in a Midnight eVTOL aircraft], we have grand plans to continue to grow our manufacturing and produce thousands of vehicles a year, so the intent is that we certainly do want this to be a large scale people mover.” He added.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataArcher’s network could also link some of LA’s most notable institutions as the company revealed it is in discussions with the University of Southern California on using its existing heliports, and with NFL team the Los Angeles Rams on building an exclusive vertiport for its SoFi stadium.
Bernhard said the stadium partnership was particularly key to Archer’s plans given LA’s upcoming schedule of major global sporting events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics, which could provide a showcase for the technology.
While Archer’s LA plans mark a notable step for the commercialisation of its aircraft, it has also been frequently beaten to key development milestones by fellow US manufacturer Joby Aviation, which has also signed agreements on electric air taxi infrastructure in Southern California.
However, Bernhard argued his company’s connections would provide it a leg up on competitors as it “hit the ground running”, he said: “When we announce a network, we’re not just announcing our intent, we’re actually announcing with signed deals, and sometimes even exclusive deals, like at SoFi Stadium, to have point to point connectivity.”
The CGIO also highlighted Archer’s industry partners and said “We have our airline partners in Southwest and United, two partners that Joby also doesn’t have, and Southwest has tremendous hubs in four airports, and United Airlines in three airports, where we’ve announced [deals].
“Having those operational partners and creating all the different connectivity with those airlines is also a differentiator, for example Orange County and Burbank have Southwest as an anchor tenant, which is something that only Archer will have.”
