Flying taxis could be coming to LA Olympics in 2028

A fleet of flying taxis to help fans beat the relentless Los Angeles area traffic at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games are being planned to be deployed for a stunning low price. Archer Aviation was announced as the official air taxi provider for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games that will take place across dozens of venues in the Los Angeles area.

Those include SoFi Stadium in nearby Inglewood, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Crypto.com Arena, and more, with prices expecting to cost the same as a high-end Uber , per the LA Times. Los Angeles is notorious for having some of the worst car traffic in the world, with Interstate 5 being known to transport cars mere miles over multiple hours. Each flying taxi can carry up to four passengers, with trips around the Los Angeles area expecting to take between 10 and 20 minutes.

The flying taxis were originally going to be introduced at the 2024 games in Paris but did not receive the proper approval from European officials in time. There are still a few hoops to jump through to make flying taxis a reality. Archer Aviation's flagship Midnight eVTOL is also planned to help transport Team USA athletes around the region using veriport hubs. Company CEO Adam Goldstein sees it coming to fruition in a major way. Goldstein expects that certification to come by the end of 2025, in plenty of time for the California spectacular.

'We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America,' Goldstein said in a statement. 'There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games. 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.' Hubs for the flying taxis will also be at Los Angeles International Airport, Hollywood, an Orange County location, and in the trendy suburb of Santa Monica.

The Federal Aviation Administration has yet to certify Archer, meaning it is not ready for commercial use yet, with a company statement believing their fleet is 'at similar levels of safety as commercial airliners'. Those attending the extravaganza in three years would call for a flying taxi the same way it would order an Uber, through an app on your phone. Uber does offer helicopter services in major cities like New York, with those prices typically costing more than five times the amount of a car transport.

Archer is backed by Boeing and United Airlines and seeks to turn 'science fiction into science fact,' Goldstein said on The Tonight Show. 'At LA28, we're building a platform for constant innovation and creativity, which is why we've partnered with forward-thinking companies like Archer,' said LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman in a statement. 

'Our vision is to fundamentally reimagine the Olympic and Paralympic Games experience, and this partnership represents an incredible opportunity to deliver something unprecedented, showcasing the very best of what Los Angeles has to offer on the world stage.' Previously, Archer planned to start air taxi services next year with any logistics being worked out by the time the world turns its eyes to Los Angeles for the Olympics.

Los Angeles previously hosted the Olympics in 1932 and 1984, with the United States last hosting a Summer Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta. Los Angeles will become the third city to host the Summer Games for a third time after London and Paris.

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