Archer Named ‘Official Air Taxi Provider’ for 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles

Archer Aviation has been designated the official air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games and Team USA, the company announced on May 15.

This means athletes, VIPs, and some visitors will have the opportunity to fly on Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft to travel to and from key venues, including SoFi Stadium and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. According to Archer, the Midnight aircraft could potentially also support security and emergency services during the event.

“Our vision is to fundamentally reimagine the Olympic and Paralympic Games experience, and this partnership represents an incredible opportunity to deliver something unprecedented, showcasing the very best of what Los Angeles has to offer on the world stage,” said LA28 chairperson and president Casey Wasserman.

Midnight is a piloted, fully electric aircraft designed to carry up to four passengers on trips of 20 to 50 miles. Archer plans to launch eVTOL air taxi networks across the U.S. and internationally, focusing initially on routes connecting airports with city centers. Archer revealed its proposed New York City eVTOL network in April.

San Jose, California-based Archer has been planning a Los Angeles-based eVTOL air taxi network since 2021, when it entered into a partnership with the city’s transportation department and Urban Movement Labs, which merged with the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator in 2024.

In August 2024, Archer revealed its proposed locations for vertiports in the Greater Los Angeles area where the Midnight aircraft will be able to take off, land, and recharge. In addition to SoFi Stadium and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Archer’s proposed Los Angeles eVTOL network includes vertiports at Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX), Hollywood Burbank, Orange County, and Santa Monica.

“I can’t wait to see Midnight flying passengers over Los Angeles, emblazoned with the Team USA logo and the Olympic Rings and Paralympic Agitos,” Archer co-founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said in a statement.

If all goes according to Archer’s plans, the Midnight aircraft will be certified and in service well before the 2027 NFL Super Bowl, which is also being held in Los Angeles. The company had been targeting service entry by the end of 2025, but it appears increasingly unlikely that the FAA will certify any eVTOL aircraft this year following layoffs at the agency’s certification office implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency.

Archer is not the first eVTOL company to plan commercial air taxi flights at the Olympic Games. German eVTOL developer Volocopter intended to fly passengers at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Unable to secure the necessary approvals, Volocopter settled for a single demonstration flight without passengers on the last day of the event. The following month, officials in Australia announced they were getting a head start on plans to offer eVTOL air taxi services at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.