Five on Friday: Archer, Anra and JetBlue Ventures

How many Olympics does it take to fly an air taxi? According to Archer, the answer is two. 

This week the Californian eVTOL developer said it has been selected as the official air taxi provider of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28).

The plan is to use Archer’s aircraft across the games to move VIPs and fans, as well as providing support for emergency services and security.

“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer who appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon this week to discuss the LA28 partnership.

But with only three years to go and a technically immature aircraft programme (views on capacity and function set aside) when compared with that of Volocopter who attempted to fly at the last Olympic Games held in Paris in 2024, it is not going to be an easy task. Volocopter had conducted hundreds of hours of crewed flight testing; Archer is yet to publicly reveal crewed flight testing of any kind, although it  completed an uncrewed transition test of its Midnight aircraft in summer 2024.

Volocopter also had a very similar blueprint to that which Archer is proposing, but it was eventually restricted to a series of demonstration flights on the outskirts of Paris. This was down to a number of reasons, not least certification delays with EASA and local political opposition.

It would be fantastic to see Midnights taxiing people around Los Angeles by 2028, but it is a big ask. However, in the event Archer is successful, don’t expect a clear run on the I-5 any time soon.

LA 2028 Olympics plans air taxi service for spectators   Spectators could fly through the Los Angeles skies and escape the city’s notorious traffic during the 2028 Olympic Games if the organisers have their way. Source: BBC

EASA certifies first U-space ATM service provider for uncrewed aircraft   Anra indicated that it is ready to launch U-space air traffic management services to support uncrewed aircraft operations in several European member states. Source: AIN Future Flight

JetBlue sheds innovation arm JetBlue Ventures to focus on ‘core airline operations’   Brooklyn-based JetBlue said on 5 May that it would continue to serve as a “strategic partner” to JetBlue Ventures, which has backed with investments more than 50 start-up companies since launching in 2016. Source: Flight Global

FAA green lights Ampaire’s hybrid propulsion system with G-1 paper   A first of its kind for a novel hybrid-electric propulsion system, the FAA approval defines the regulatory framework that the AMP-H570 must satisfy to achieve supplemental type certification (STC). Source: Revolution.Aero

Sinclair Community College buys a Beta CTOL and flight simulator   With the acquisition of the Alia CTOL and flight simulator, Sinclair will, with input from BETA, create a framework for students to earn familiarisation training and credentials in electric aviation. Source: Revolution.Aero