Flying Taxi Startup Buys South Bay Airport As Test Bed For AI Aviation

HAWTHORNE, CA — As part of its plan to have air taxis zipping high above Southern California traffic in time for the 2028 Olympics, Archer Aviation recently purchased a South Bay airport to serve as the hub of its Los Angeles operations.

The San Jose-based company this month announced it has signed agreements to purchase Hawthorne Airport for $126 million in cash. Archer will use the airport as its operational hub for its planned LA air taxi network.

"Archer also plans to utilize the airport as an innovation testbed for the next-generation AI-powered aviation technologies that it is developing and planning to deploy with its airline and technology partners. This includes AI-powered air traffic and ground operations management, in addition to other key technologies," the company said in a release.

Archer earlier this year was named the Official Air Taxi Provider of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Team USA.

The company plans to use its aircraft, dubbed Midnight, to ferry athletes and visitors between the Southland's spread-out Olympic infrastructure in minutes. Designed to carry up to four passengers, Midnight has 12 electric engines and propellers that help it fly at up to 150 mph. And the company says it's 100 times quieter than a helicopter.

The aircraft — categorized as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOLs) — will operate out of vertiports (as in vertical ports) located throughout the region, from the San Fernando Valley to Orange County.

Archer highlighted Hawthorne Airport's proximity to SoFi Stadium, The Forum, Intuit Dome and Downtown LA as part of the appeal of the facility.

The company in October announced it has been named the The Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission's "exclusive air taxi partner," and as a result will have status as a "host city supporter" for the 2026 World Cup matches in LA and as an Official Super Bowl LXI Host Committee Partner.

However, those events might be too early for fans to make use of Archer's air taxis. The company in a release said the partnership "actively expands Archer's presence in Los Angeles by allowing the company to leverage upcoming global events to build excitement for the arrival of air taxis to the region."

Archer is one of several companies vying to be leaders in what they see as the future of local transportation.

The biggest barrier for Archer and its competitors is FAA certification — none of the aircraft have gotten government sign off yet. They'll also need to build out infrastructure, hire and train pilots on the brand-new aircraft, establish flight routes and secure enough funding for sustained development.

Joby Aviation in Santa Cruz has partnered with Uber, as well as completed a flight between Marina and Monterey in 12 minutes, the San Francisco Chronicle reported earlier this year.

And Archer has plans to build a port in the biotech hub of Oyster Point in South San Francisco and to start commercial service later in the year in the United Arab Emirates.