Amid a flurry of announcements showing that it’s going from strength to strength, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) maker Archer has said it’s purchasing an airport in Los Angeles from which its futuristic vehicles will launch and land.
If you needed any proof that eVTOLs were coming on strong, you need look no further than this week’s announcement from Archer. The maker of the sleek and capable Midnight eVTOL says that it has acquired Hawthorne Municipal Airport in the heart of Los Angeles for US$126 million. That follows on from an announcement earlier this year that the company was tapped as the Official Air Taxi provider for the Olympic and Paralympic games to be held in the city in 2028, so the acquisition certainly makes sense.
Hawthorne, also known as Jack Northrop Field after the famed aircraft industrialist, is located in the southwestern part of the city, about three miles from Los Angeles International Airport. Built in the 1920s, the airport sits on 80 acres and features about 190,000 square feet of terminal space.
In addition to functioning as a base for its air taxis, Archer says the site will also be used “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 use in air traffic control, ground operations management and other areas, says the company.
One of the partners that has invested heavily in Archer is United Airlines, which has not only inked agreements to purchase eVTOLs from the company, but has also invested cash in the company’s future.
“Archer’s trajectory validates our conviction that eVTOLs are part of the next generation of air traffic technology that will fundamentally reshape aviation,” said Michael Leskinen, United’s chief financial officer. “Their vision for an AI-enabled operations platform isn’t just about eVTOLs, it’s also about leveraging cutting-edge technology to better enable moving people safely and efficiently in our most congested airspaces.”
Archer’s acquisition of the airport in the LA market fits with its mission to provide air taxi service in some of America’s most crowded cities. Earlier this year the company announced plans to open a network of vertiports in partnership with United and automaker Stellantis in New York and San Francisco as well as Los Angeles. Such a service in New York could move travelers between Manhattan and nearby international airports in just 5-15 minutes, shaving hours off commute times.
In addition to the announcement of Hawthorne’s acquisition, Archer also revealed that it raised $650 million in new funding, bringing its total liquidity to over $2 billion. It additionally said that the Midnight aircraft, which can hold four passengers and a pilot, has hit some important milestones, including traveling over 50 miles in range (80 km) and 10,000 ft (3,048 m) in altitude. Finally, the company released news regarding its international operations saying that its aircraft had carried out test and demonstration flights in the UAE, and that it had entered into partnerships with Korean Air and Soracle, a joint venture between Japan Airlines and Sumitomo.
Archer Aviation is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ACHR.
Source: Archer Aviation
