Air taxis could come to Los Angeles as soon as 2026

Air taxis could come to LA by 2026

Air taxis could soon be flying over Los Angeles traffic, slashing commute times with flights from Orange County to USC in as little as 10-20 minutes.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Air taxis could be flying over Southern California by 2026, just in time for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.

Archer Aviation recently announced plans for a 2026 launch in Los Angeles. According to the air taxi company, they hope to replace one-to-two hour drives with 10–20-minute electric flights.

"The average person in Los Angeles spends about 100 hours a year in traffic," said Miles Rogers from Archer Aviation. "We’re really trying to change that."

Archer has a planned network set across the Los Angeles area that includes take-off/landing locations at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), The University of Southern California (USC), Orange County, Santa Monica, Hollywood/Burbank, Long Beach, SoFi Stadium, Woodland Hills, and Van Nuys.

"We’re looking at making this accessible to everybody," said Rogers. "[It will likely] start as rideshare pricing, but we’re looking to open-up the skies to everybody. Not just the elite few who want to fly over traffic."

Archer will use their Midnight light aircraft, which has a pilot, carries up to four passengers and carry-on-luggage, while flying up to 150 mph. The company claims their aircraft is roughly 100 times quieter than a helicopter.

"Flying over the 405 or over the 10, there’s really no better feeling," said Rogers. "You’ll be able to fly from Santa Monica to a USC Trrojans game. Santa Monica to a Rams game. Or, Orange County to a Rams game."

The air taxi company has announced partnerships with United Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

"The aircraft is sustainable," said Rogers. "It plugs in like a Tesla. It takes off vertically like a helicopter and flies forward on a wing like an airplane."

A competing company, Joby, also plans to target Los Angeles when they launch. Joby is partnered with Delta Airlines. Currently, Joby says they’re working with Delta to identify priority landing sites at LAX.

"We are hard at work with the FAA and certifying our aircraft and getting ready for commercial service," said Eric Allison, Chief Product Officer at Joby. "Instead of selecting an Uber you can select a Joby and be able to fly over the traffic instead of having to sit in it."

Both companies hope to be operating in Los Angeles prior to the 2028 Olympics.