This post was originally published on this site
Archer Aviation Inc., the official air taxi provider for the 2028 Summer Olympics, has expanded its California footprint to Orange County, which will serve as a “critical visitor hub” as the firm transports passengers to LA28 venues across the region.
San Jose-based Archer expanded into a 57,000-square-foot site in Huntington Beach in April. The lease came about a month before Archer was selected in May to transport LA28 fans, VIPs and “stakeholders” across the region during the games via its Midnight eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle).
Archer’s planned network in the Los Angeles area includes “vertiports” at key venues that are central to the LA28 Games, including SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The company said that its flying network includes “critical visitor hubs” such as Orange County, LAX, Hollywood and Santa Monica. The flying taxis will be used primarily for short hops around Olympic area events.
“Vertiports” are hubs with the ability to host and charge flying electric taxis.
Archer Aviation has provided a map showing its planned regional flying taxi network, which includes Clay Lacy Aviation as the Orange County location.
Clay Lacy says it is incorporating charging infrastructure for electric aircraft on the west side of John Wayne Airport, though it is not specifically building a “vertiport” per the FAA definition.
“We are simply installing the electric infrastructure to accommodate all makes and models of electric aircraft that will be used in the future,” a Clay Lacy official says.
Archer Aviation is optimistic about the future.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games,” Adam Goldstein, Aviation CEO and co-founder, said in a May 15 statement.
Archer is also the official air taxi provider for the Paralympic Games and Team USA.
“I can’t wait to see Midnight flying passengers over Los Angeles, emblazoned with the Team USA logo and the Olympic Rings and Paralympic Agitos,” Goldstein said.
The flying taxi network will also provide support for emergency services and security.
The company’s site at 15400 Graham St. in Surf City will be used primarily to develop composites used in the aircraft for now, company General Counsel Eric Lentell told the Business Journal on June 4. He said about 20 people are working in Huntington Beach now, with more to be added.
“We look at LA as the pre-eminent market in the U.S., and also in the world,” Lentell added, and “Orange County is known for being a hub for aerospace.”
Archer Aviation is in the process of getting all the approvals needed to start the flying taxi service.
“We believe that investing in bringing advanced manufacturing back to the U.S. is core to our success and that of our country. This part of the U.S. has a storied history in aerospace that we’re excited to be a part of as we usher in the future,” he said.
Archer is a publicly traded company whose shares have more than tripled since a 52-week low of $2.82 in October to $9.84 and a $5.4 billion market cap at press time (NYSE: ACHR). The company, which is pre-revenue, on May 12 posted a first-quarter net loss of just over $93 million; the company has more than $1 billion in cash on hand.
Goldstein, who co-founded the company in 2018, has extensive experience as a financial analyst and previously co-founded Vettery, an online job search and recruiting marketplace.
Midnight Flights
The company’s LA28 selection has suddenly raised Archer’s profile, as more than a dozen companies have been pushing to get their futuristic electric-powered flying taxis aloft.
Midnight is designed to carry up to four passengers while producing less noise and emissions than a traditional helicopter.
OC will host the surfing competition in San Clemente and indoor volleyball matches at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
Archer’s Midnight is already close to entering service in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Archer said June 2 it has begun the next phase of Midnight’s flight test program showcasing piloted flight. This phase builds on years of safe, autonomous flight testing across its various aircraft platforms, which validated its proprietary 12 tilt-6 VTOL configuration.
Midnight cruised at speeds up to 125 mph and reached a maximum altitude of over 1,500 feet above ground level during the flight.
Supernal, Overair
Plenty of companies have been working on flying taxis, seeking all-important government regulatory approvals to get commercial service started.
Hyundai Motor Group’s Supernal LLC in Irvine plans to have its flying taxis in commercial service in 2028, but the project’s technology chief previously said don’t expect to see the space-age vehicles buzzing around 2028 Games.
“There won’t be a whole lot of flying of anything around the Olympics for security reasons,” Supernal Chief Technology Officer David McBride told the Business Journal almost a year ago. “It’s one thing to introduce a new soda pop or beer at the Olympics but not something flying.”
Locally based Overair, a spinoff from legendary dronemaker Abraham Karem’s aircraft company in Lake Forest, had been seeking to develop the super-quiet Butterfly air taxi at its site in Santa Ana.
However, CEO Ben Tigner left the company in January, according to his LinkedIn profile. The company’s website “is undergoing maintenance” and the firm’s status appears unclear.
Archer, Anduril Teaming up
While flying taxi maker Archer Aviation has added new space in Huntington Beach, the San Jose-based company should already be familiar with Orange County.
The company has been partnering with the defense company Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa.
“The Archer Defense team is deeply integrated with our counterparts at Anduril through our exclusive partnership to build the next generation hybrid electric VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) for the U.S. and its allies,” Archer CEO Adam Goldstein told financial analysts on May 12.
Goldstein added: “Our progress speaks for itself, but it’s made even clearer by the caliber of the companies who have chosen to partner with us. Anduril selected Archer to jointly shape the next generation of defense aviation.”