Archer and AEG plan downtown LA's first vertiport at L.A. LIVE

While the eVTOL revolution has been filled with hype, bankruptcies and shattered dreams, there are a few players still standing who are still on the certification path with solid financial backing. Archer Aviation is one of them. But beyond the dream of safe, inexpensive and quiet vertical flight, there are the more down-to-earth requirements for infrastructure to turn it into a reality. And their latest collaboration is yet another step in that direction.Downtown LA gets its first vertiportArcher Aviation and AEG, a sports and live-entertainment company, announced Aug. 24 a collaboration to develop downtown Los Angeles’ first vertiport. It will be located in L.A. LIVE, AEG’s four-million-square-foot sports and entertainment district that will host events during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The agreement makes Archer the exclusive air taxi partner of L.A. LIVE, adding to its existing role as the Official Air Taxi Provider of the LA28 Games and Team USA.What L.A. LIVE gives ArcherL.A. LIVE isn’t just another destination; it is possibly the highest-profile entertainment and sports district in Southern California. AEG claims the district draws millions of visitors each year for concerts, special events and live entertainment. Not only does it have high foot traffic, but it also sits within an Olympic competition zone. This makes it a logical choice as an addition to Archer’s planned L.A. network. Archer states the site has already undergone initial feasibility review covering land use, airspace, electrical infrastructure, and community considerations.Archer’s goal with the network is to transport passengers across the city in 10 to 20 minutes in its Midnight electric air taxi. The company has already announced other connecting vertiports at SoFi Stadium, USC, Hollywood Burbank (BUR) and the Hawthorne Airport (HHR).The ground game now matters as much as the aircraftBeyond the aircraft itself, an eVTOL transportation network includes charging systems, vertiports and local approvals for operations to take place. Urban air mobility companies like Archer are reaching the end of working on a viable aircraft and are now shifting focus to those ancillary needs along with route planning and customer adoption. The proposed L.A. LIVE vertiport illustrates that shift. Additional vertiport announcements will provide a clearer indication of how much confidence industry stakeholders have in the success of the urban air mobility model.