Like it or not, the urban transportation landscape is about to undergo a radical change in the medium-term future. Just as has been depicted many times in science fiction movies, we will travel from one point to another in our cities through the air, not on or under the ground. The culprits for this are not the flying cars that the world has always dreamed of, but never realized, but a combination of helicopters and drones that we like to call vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles.
These contraptions have been in the spotlight for several years now, with several companies working on such solutions, including major players in the automotive industry. For example, Stellantis, which is supporting an eVTOL company called Archer.
This team is currently working on Gliding It's called Midnight. It promises to “replace one- or two-hour car trips with 10- to 20-minute electric flights” ensuring the same levels of safety as commercial airliners.
The Midnight is envisioned as an air taxi that can carry up to four passengers, their carry-on luggage, and a pilot. It will be capable of flying at speeds of 150 mph (241 km/h) and for distances of up to 100 miles (160 km).
Because it is built to fly in consecutive flights of 20-50 miles (32-80 km), it is ideally suited for use on established urban air transport routes. And that is exactly what Archer announced this week: plans for its air mobility network to become operational in Los Angeles, California, as early as 2026.
In a nutshell, Archer has announced where it will place the runways for Midnight: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the University of Southern California. Undisclosed locations are also planned in Orange County, Santa Monica, Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach, and Van Nuys—you can check out the attached gallery to get an idea of the exact routes between those locations.
Perhaps most importantly of all, Archer says he’s currently talking to the Los Angeles Rams football team about installing a terminal near SoFi Stadium. Hollywood Park is also being eyed for the same thing.
As mentioned, Archer plans to have everything up and running in 2026. That’s just two years before the Summer Olympics, which Los Angeles will host in 2028. If they can pull it off, the city could become the first to have an operational air mobility network in place during such a large event.
And there’s no reason to doubt Archer’s promises. In addition to Stellantis’s backing, the company has also signed agreements with Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, among others, to bring eVTOL into service with those carriers as well. It is separately planning another network, similar to the Los Angeles one, in the San Francisco Bay Area.