17 November 2025
A historic airport in the heart of Los Angeles is taking a leap into the future with electric air taxi developer Archer Aviation.
Archer’s plan includes operating its Midnight electric air taxi from Hawthorne in time for the Olympic Games which return to LA in 2028. The company is paying $128m in cash to acquire control of the airport.
Hawthorne Airport – also known as Jack Northrop Field – opened in the 1920s and was home to Northrop Aircraft Corporation, maker of various aircraft including the T-38 Talon jet trainer. It’s located three miles east of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Image depicts Archer’s development plans for Hawthorne Airport. Photo: Archer
Adam Goldstein, Archer’s founder and CEO said, “The era of advanced aviation has arrived — not as a distant vision but as a tangible reality. At Archer, we are not waiting for the future; we are building it. The time to seize this transformative opportunity is now.”
Archer is continuing to test fly Midnight and recently completed its longest piloted flight to date, a 55-mile flight lasting 31 minutes at speeds exceeding 126mph, and its highest altitude flight, reaching 10,000 feet.
Hawthorne Airport is in the heart of LA. Image: Google Earth
