California State University has released a study spelling out what it views as the potential benefits of urban air mobility services to Long Beach and the wider Los Angeles-Orange County region. Commissioned by the Long Beach Economic Partnership, the research paper is entitled "The Economic Impact of Establishing and Expanding Urban Air Mobility Operations across Southern California." It projects that building a network of 20 vertiports for eVTOL flights could generate 2,133 jobs, as well as $174 million in income for construction companies and others and $423.6 million in economic output. Once the network is in operation, it would be expected annually to result in $173.3 million in expenditures and $90.3 million in income for workers and create 943 jobs.
Several eVTOL aircraft developers, including Wisk, Archer, Supernal, Volocopter, and Overair, have engaged with officials in the Los Angeles area because they view the Southern Californian megacity as an ideal early adopter of their technology. The city government has commissioned Urban Movement Labs to work on plans for blending UAM operations with the public transportation network.
Some companies are targeting the launch of eVTOL air taxi service for 2025. Under its Innovate AAM 28 plan, the FAA is committed to helping the industry be ready to feature eVTOL flights as part of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, which Los Angeles will host.