Air taxi firm bets big on Hawthorne landing pad

Hollywood movies have featured flying taxis for decades, but it wasn’t until this month that a Silicon Valley company invested in a real-world hub for futuristic flying machines in Los Angeles.

- BY CAROLINE PETROW-COHEN

THE ARCHER Midnight eVTOL — electric vertical takeoff and landing craft — at the Paris Air Show 2025.

(NICOLAS ECONOMOU NurPhoto)

Archer Aviation is building electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOL, to shuttle small groups over dense urban areas. The company is buying control of the Hawthorne Municipal Airport for more than $125 million. That’s more than four times the budget of the original “Blade Runner.”

“We've always viewed Los Angeles as a cornerstone market for launch of air taxis, both in the U.S. and globally,” said Eric Lentell, chief strategy officer at Archer, in an interview.

“We were already looking at infrastructure in and around L.A., so when the airport became an option, we knew we had to pounce on it,” he said.

The acquisition is Archer’s latest move in the race to make air travel more local and affordable. California has become a hotbed for developing the technology. Optimists hope that combining the latest electric vehicle and battery tech with artificial intelligence can finally enable commuters to use flying cars like Ubers.

San José’s Archer and Joby Aviation in Santa Cruz are in competition among other Californian companies, including Mountain View-based Wisk Aero and Irvine’s Supernal. Companies in China and Europe are in the race as well.

The aircraft blend technology from airplanes and helicopters and will eventually be integrated into existing transportation systems, according to leaders in the industry.

Los Angeles’ urban sprawl and congested freeways make it a prime test market for air taxis, industry insiders say. The city’s wealthy populace could also be among the first to pay for the service.