Archer, a leader in the eVTOL industry, has purchased Hawthorne Airport (KHHR) in Los Angeles for $126 million in cash.
The company plans to make the airport its operational hub for its planned LA air taxi network, as well as a testbed for the AI-powered aviation technologies it is developing, according to company officials.
Calling the general aviation airport a “one-of-a-kind” asset, Archer officials note that KHHR is located in the heart of LA, sitting on an 80-acre site that includes approximately 190,000 square feet of terminal, office, and hangar facilities.
The historic Hawthorne Airport, also known as Jack Northrop Field, was built in the 1920s and once helped shape Southern California’s aerospace legacy, company officials said, noting it is “strategically located less than three miles from LAX, and is the closest airport to some of the city’s biggest attractions — SoFi Stadium, The Forum, Intuit Dome, and Downtown LA.”
Archer plans for the airport to serve as its operational hub for its planned LA air taxi network operations, including during the 2028 Olympic Games.
Flight testing continues with Archer’s Midnight eVTOL, which recently completed its longest piloted flight to date, a 55-mile flight lasting 31 minutes at speeds exceeding 126 mph, and its highest altitude flight, reaching 10,000 feet.
Additionally, Midnight flew demonstration flights on both days of the California International Airshow, allowing tens of thousands of spectators to experience how quiet the aircraft is in flight, company officials said.
“This flight testing progress underscores Midnight’s continued path towards performance maturity,” company officials added.
For more information: Archer.com
This would concern me if I were based at this airport. The eVTOL industry is in its early stages and there is no guarantee that it will survive. If the company goes under, what happens to the airport? Would the city buy it back or would it be shut down and the land sold off as investors try to recover some cash? What if the company struggles with sales and cash reserves start to get thin? Would airport maintenance suffer?