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Are you ready to take an air taxi to watch the Los Angeles Lakers or Kings play at Crypto.com Arena? It could happen sooner than you think.
This morning, AEG and Archer Aviation unveiled a multiyear partnership and collaboration to develop downtown L.A.'s first "vertiport" — a vertical takeoff and landing site for electric air taxis — at the sports and entertainment district L.A. Live.
The goal is to enable folks to take one of Archer's Midnight air taxis for a 10- to 20-minute point-to-point trip that, with traffic, could take two hours. The taxis carry four passengers, reach speeds of up to 150 mph and produce far less noise and zero operating emissions compared with traditional helicopters.
Archer already has plans for its air taxi network to include SoFi Stadium, USC, LAX, Hollywood Burbank Airport and spots in Santa Monica and Orange County, with the recently acquired Hawthorne Airport serving as its central operational hub.
According to the companies, AEG and Archer have completed the initial feasibility study for the site, including land-use and airspace reviews, power availability and community impact. The next phase, reviewing operational approach and guest experience, is underway. (Exactly where the taxis will land and take off has yet to be determined.)
The agreement, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, names publicly traded Archer as the exclusive air taxi partner of L.A. Live.
"We are thrilled to pursue this endeavor with Archer to enhance the fan experience around the major sports and live-entertainment events we host," AEG Global Partnerships president and COO Nick Baker said in a statement.
"This is an ambitious project and exactly the kind of forward-thinking collaboration that blends infrastructure and technology in service of our fans, visitors and the broader community around major sports and live-entertainment events hosted at L.A. Live."
In addition to Crypto.com Arena, L.A. Live is home to the Peacock Theater, The Novo, a Regal multiplex, the Grammy Museum, restaurants and bars, and the L.A. Convention Center is around the corner.
Archer is also the official air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Team USA, and downtown L.A. will serve as a central hub for 18 Olympic and Paralympic sports a couple of summers from now.
"We see this as a one-of-a-kind opportunity to add a flagship downtown location to our planned Los Angeles air taxi network ahead of the LA28 Games," Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said. "Working with AEG on an iconic project like this vertiport at L.A. Live gives us the opportunity to continue building the infrastructure needed for Southern California to lead in the next era of all-electric flight."
A Midnight air taxi will be on display at L.A. Live through Tuesday.
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