Archer begins US air taxi flight tour ahead of LA2028 Olympics

Archer Aviation is expanding flight testing of its Midnight electric air taxi beyond airport-based operations, beginning a US-wide ‘tour’ designed to demonstrate how the aircraft could be used on routes linking city pairs.

The California-based company said its new ‘No Roads’ programme will initially focus on Northern California, with flights planned between locations including Monterey, Hollister, San Martin, San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco.

The programme is being conducted in coordination with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is intended to test its operational readiness ahead of Archer’s planned air taxi operations in Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Archer expands Midnight flight testing

The first phase follows more than 70 test flights completed by Archer during August. 

The company has also recently flown its Midnight aircraft on a round trip between Salinas Municipal Airport and Monterey Regional Airport, demonstrating the aircraft on a route between two separate airports.

Archer plans to extend the city-to-city testing to Los Angeles before expanding operations to Texas and Florida.

The flights are intended to replicate the type of journeys the company ultimately expects to offer commercially, with Archer targeting routes where travelling by road can take an hour or longer but where an electric aircraft could complete the journey in around 10 to 20 minutes.

Unlike conventional airliner operations, the programme is intended to test the practicalities of using an eVTOL aircraft for relatively short regional journeys, including the infrastructure and operational procedures required to support repeated air taxi flights.

Testing the infrastructure for electric air taxis

Charging infrastructure will form another part of the programme. Archer said it plans to announce charging locations in several states through its ACES initiative, a group involving Archer, BETA Technologies and Macquarie Capital.

The companies are working on a charging network intended to allow electric aircraft to use infrastructure across different operators and locations.

The infrastructure is seen as a key stepping stone before eVTOL operators are able to launch commercially viable networks. 

Operators will need suitable landing sites, charging facilities, airspace procedures and regulatory approvals before this can be achieved. 

Archer’s Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger eVTOL aircraft designed for short urban and regional journeys. 

The company says its electric propulsion system will allow it to operate without direct emissions and at significantly lower noise levels than conventional helicopters.

Archer prepares for LA28 and federal pilot programme

The flight tour is also linked to Archer’s involvement in the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), under which the company is preparing to conduct operations in multiple US states.

The testing will also provide preparation for Los Angeles, where it has been selected as the official air taxi provider for the LA28 Games.

“I’ve talked a lot about the ‘Waymo Moment for air taxis’ – the chance for us to get communities more comfortable with this tech,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer.

“This is the beginning of that story and our biggest step yet toward making air taxis an everyday reality in cities across America. 

“The ‘No Roads’ Tour is how we bring that narrative to life while also preparing for what’s next: flights in multiple states under the White House’s pilot programme, and the first Midnight flights in Los Angeles ahead of LA28.”

Archer adds LA LIVE vertiport to Los Angeles air taxi network

Last month, Archer and sports and entertainment group AEG announced plans to develop a vertiport at LA LIVE in downtown Los Angeles.

The companies have entered into an exclusive multi-year partnership. Under the agreement, Archer will become the exclusive air taxi provider for LA LIVE, AEG’s four-million-square-foot sports and entertainment district next to Crypto.com Arena.

If completed, the facility would be the first announced vertiport in downtown Los Angeles and would allow passengers to travel directly to LA LIVE aboard Archer’s Midnight aircraft. 

Archer plans to have its aircraft transport VIPs, fans and other stakeholders around Los Angeles during the Games.

The project is currently in the development stage, not yet an operational vertiport. But work towards that end has begun.

AEG and Archer have completed an initial feasibility study covering land use, airspace, available electrical power and potential community impacts. The next phase will examine the operational approach and passenger experience.