Air taxis to shuttle fans during 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

Spectators at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles could soar above the city's notorious traffic, as organisers have enlisted Archer Aviation to provide an air taxi service during the event.

The California-based company will deploy its fleet of ‘Midnight’ electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to shuttle fans and VIPs between key Olympic venues. Each flight is expected to last between 10 to 20 minutes and will be priced similarly to a premium Uber ride.

The proposed network of ‘vertiports’ includes key sites such as SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, LAX, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Orange County. SoFi and the Coliseum are scheduled to host the opening and closing ceremonies.

Archer’s eVTOL aircraft is engineered with redundant, fault-tolerant systems, including 12 individual motors and propellers, ensuring continued operation even in the event of a component failure. This high level of safety enables the company to aim for FAA certification standards on par with those of commercial airliners.

Manufacturing is underway at Archer’s facilities in San Jose, California, and Covington, Georgia.

A similar flying taxi debut was planned for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but certification delays grounded those plans before takeoff.