Archer chosen as official LA 2028 Olympic air taxi provider
May 19, 2025
Athletes, VIPs, fans and stakeholders could see themselves zipping around the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Archer’s ‘flying taxi’, thanks to an exclusive partnership between the Californian eVTOL developer and Team USA. With the craft looking to gain certification and enter service in the UAE as soon as next year, its integration into the multinational sporting event will provide a “valuable [transportation] option as Games spectators and participants move throughout the city,” suggested Archer.
“Archer’s goal is for passengers to be able to go to a vertiport take-off and landing hub near a key venue and then fly 10-20 minutes in Midnight to their destination of choice within Archer’s LA network,” continued the manufacturer. It added that its four-passenger craft could also be used to provide “support for emergency services and security”.
CEO and founder Adam Goldstein believes that the event marks an optimal time to showcase Archer’s intention to “leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America”. LA28 chairperson and president Casey Wasserman added that “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”.
To achieve this ambitious intention, Archer’s planned LA network will include “key venues” it deems “central to the LA28 Games,” including the stadium in Inglewood and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Other locations are set to cover “critical visitor hubs” including LA International Airport, Hollywood, Orange County and Santa Monica.
Although Archer had previously expected its Midnight eVTOL to receive FAA certification in 2025, this is looking likely to slip into next year. However, the receipt of FAA final airworthiness criteria in May 2024 “added significant momentum” to the aircraft’s certification programme, explained Archer head of certification Eric Wright.
However, eVTOL integration into Olympics events has not always gone as expected, with rival Volocopter unable to make any of the commercial public passenger trips promised during the France 2024 event; instead settling on a demonstration ascent from the Palace of Versailles.
