Archer to provide electric air taxi service during 2028 L.A. Olympics
Archer Aviation has been selected as the "official air taxi provider" for the Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028, the company said Thursday.
Why it matters: The nominally "no-car" Olympics are the biggest possible showcase for the future of urban air mobility.
Driving the news: Through their exclusive partnership, Archer and LA28, the games' host organization, will look to integrate Archer's Midnight aircraft in a variety of ways, such as transporting VIPs, fans and athletes.
The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) planes — deemed cleaner, quieter and safer than helicopters — might also be used to provide support for emergency services and security.
Context: Archer last year announced plans for an electric air taxi network in L.A., leveraging partnerships with major airlines like Southwest as well as Signature and Atlantic Aviation, which support private aviation at smaller airports.
The company aims to build vertiports and electric charging infrastructure at key venues like SoFi Stadium and the L.A. Coliseum, as well as at various airports throughout the region, Chief Commercial Officer Nikhil Goel tells Axios.
Yes, but: It's all contingent on getting the green light from the Federal Aviation Administration, which has yet to certify Archer's eVTOL or that of its chief rival, Joby Aviation, which also plans to launch air taxi service in L.A.
What to watch: While they wait for FAA approval, both companies expect to launch their first commercial service in the Middle East this year.
Goel says Archer expects to be allowed to fly commercially in the U.S. next year, and to be flying "at scale" by 2028, when the Summer Olympics begin.
He wouldn't say how large its fleet will be by then, but said it will ramp up safely starting next year.
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Politico
9 hours ago
- Politico
What to know about Trump's travel ban taking effect Monday
DAKAR, Senegal — President Donald Trump has banned citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricted access for those from seven others, citing national security concerns in resurrecting and expanding a hallmark policy from his first term that will mostly affect people from Africa and the Middle East. The ban announced Wednesday applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The heightened restrictions apply to people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the U.S. and don't hold a valid visa. The policy takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m. and does not have an end date. Here's what to know about the new rules: Since returning to the White House, Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign of immigration enforcement that has pushed the limits of executive power and clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him. The travel ban stems from a Jan. 20 executive order Trump issued requiring the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on 'hostile attitudes' toward the U.S. The aim is to 'protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes,' the administration said. In a video posted on social media, Trump tied the new ban to a terrorist attack last Sunday in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. The man charged in the attack is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump's restricted list. U.S. officials say he overstayed a tourist visa. 1. Green card holders2. Dual citizens, including U.S. citizens who also have citizenship of one of the banned countries3. Some athletes: athletes and their coaches traveling to the U.S. for the World Cup, Olympics or other major sporting event as determined by the U.S. secretary of state4. Afghans who worked for the U.S. government or its allies in Afghanistan and are holders of Afghan special immigrant visas5. Iranians belonging to an ethnic or religious minority who are fleeing prosecution6. Certain foreign national employees of the U.S. government who have served abroad for at least 15 years, and their spouses and children7. People who were granted asylum or admitted to the U.S. as refugees before the ban took effect8. People with U.S. family members who apply for visas in connection to their spouses, children or parents9. Diplomats and foreign government officials on official visits10. Those traveling to U.N. headquarters in New York solely on official U.N. business11. Representatives of international organizations and NATO on official visits in the U.S.12. Children adopted by U.S. citizens13. People from targeted countries who already have valid visas, although the Department of Homeland Security still has the authority to deny entry, even to those with a valid visa Trump said nationals of countries included in the ban pose 'terrorism-related' and 'public-safety' risks, as well as risks of overstaying their visas. He also said some of these countries had 'deficient' screening and vetting or have historically refused to take back their citizens. His findings rely extensively on an annual Homeland Security report about tourists, businesspeople and students who overstay U.S. visas and arrive by air or sea, singling out countries with high percentages of nationals who remain after their visas expired. 'We don't want them,' Trump said. The inclusion of Afghanistan angered some supporters who have worked to resettle its people. The ban makes exceptions for Afghans on special immigrant visas, who were generally the people who worked most closely with the U.S. government during the two-decade war there. The list can be changed, the administration said in a document, if authorities in the designated countries make 'material improvements' to their own rules and procedures. New countries can be added 'as threats emerge around the world.' The State Department instructed U.S. embassies and consulates on Friday not to revoke visas previously issued to people from the 12 countries listed in the ban. In a cable sent to all U.S. diplomatic missions, the department said 'no action should be taken for issued visas which have already left the consular section' and that 'no visas issued prior to the effective date should be revoked pursuant to this proclamation.' However, visa applicants from affected countries whose applications have been approved but have not yet received their visas will be denied, according to the cable, which was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. And, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting on Monday. Early in Trump's first term, he issued an executive order banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency. Travelers from those nations were either barred from getting on flights to the U.S. or detained at U.S. airports after they landed. They included students and faculty, as well as businesspeople, tourists and people visiting friends and family. The order, often referred to as the 'Muslim ban' or the 'travel ban,' was retooled amid legal challenges until a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. That ban affected various categories of travelers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
Will visa delays and border fears keep international fans away from the Club World Cup in the US?
As the United States readies for the FIFA Club World Cup, concern over such things as international travel, fan safety and even economic uncertainty threaten to diminish enthusiasm for the tournament. The United States will see the arrival of 32 professional club teams from around the globe to 11 cities for the tournament. There's a $1 billion prize pool. The Club World Cup is considered in many ways to be a dress rehearsal for the big event, the 2026 World Cup to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. But there seems to be little buzz for the Club World Cup at home or abroad. The expansion of the field from seven to 32 teams has diminished the exclusivity of the event, and ticket sales appear slow. At the same time, the tournament is being played amid reports of foreign tourists being detained and visa processing delays. Chaotic U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities and President Donald Trump's travel bans aren't exactly reassuring international fans, either. Trump's policies appear to have already impacted travelers. The National Travel and Tourism Office released data showing visitors to the U.S. from foreign countries fell 9.7% in March compared to the same month last year. The travel forecasting company Tourism Economics has predicted that international arrivals would decline 9.4% this year. The U.S. Travel Association, a nonprofit group that represents the travel industry, has urged the Trump administration to improve such things as visa processing and customs wait times ahead of a series of big sporting events on U.S. soil, including the Club World Cup beginning June 14, the Ryder Cup later this year, next summer's World Cup, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Association President Geoff Freeman said, for example, that the wait in Colombia for a visa interview appointment is upwards of 18 months — already putting the 2026 World Cup out of reach for some travelers. He said his organization is working with the White House's World Cup Task Force to address issues. 'They (the task force) recognize how important this event is: success is the only option. So we're eager to work with them to do whatever it is we need to do to ensure that we can welcome the millions of incremental visitors that we think are possible,' Freeman said. 'But these underlying issues of visa and customs, we've got to address.' Column: Pride and community at Chicago White Sox's Mexican Heritage Night game amid immigration crackdownsSecretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing last month, suggested consular staff could be put on longer shifts and that artificial intelligence could be used to process visas. 'We want it to be a success. It's a priority for the president,' said Rubio. But the Trump administration may have added to the concerns for international visitors by issuing a ban on travelers from 12 countries, with restrictions on travel from nine more countries. Iran, one of the countries named, has qualified for the World Cup. The proclamation included an exemption for 'any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state.' It did not mention fans. There are signs current immigration policies were already impacting soccer fans and spurring worries over safety. A Latin American supporters group in Nashville stayed away from a recent Major League Soccer game because of ICE activity in the city. The city's Geodis Park is set to host three Club World Cup matches. Danny Navarro, who offers travel advice to followers on his social media platforms under the moniker TravelFutbolFan, said the World Cup Task Force announcement did not allay fears about travel, especially when Vice President JD Vance said, 'We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game. But when the time is up, they'll have to go home. Otherwise, they'll have to talk to (Homeland Security) Secretary (Kristi) Noem.' That insinuated fans visiting the United States for the World Cup could use it to stay in the country, which is nonsensical, Navarro maintained. For many countries, fans traveling to the World Cup — an expensive travel plan with hiked flight and hotel prices — are broadly viewed as higher-spending and lower-risk for host nation security planning. Navarro put the onus on FIFA. 'They must know that there is an anxiety among international travelers wanting to come in. They must know there's an anxiety among the U.S. fan base that is multicultural and wanting to go to all these places. Are they going to? Are they going to be harassed by ICE?' Navarro said. 'There is just a lot of uncertainty, I would say, too much uncertainty, that the fan base doesn't want to think about.' It remains to be seen how outside factors will ultimately impact the Club World Cup, which is not the global spectacle or draw that the World Cup is. Ticket sales, which were based on a dynamic pricing model, appear to be slow, with lowered prices from earlier this year and a slew of recent promotions. For a match between Paris Saint-Germain and Botafogo at the Rose Bowl on June 19, there were wide swaths of available seats going for $33.45. FIFA created an incentive program that says fans who buy two or more tickets to the Club World Cup 'may' be guaranteed the right to purchase one ticket to the World Cup next summer. Navarro said economic uncertainty and fears of inflation may make fans hesitant to spend their money on the Club World Cup — when the more desirable World Cup is looming. What the Trump travel ban means for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics in the USIn some host cities, there's little sign the Club World Cup is happening. A light rail station in Seattle had a lone sign advertising the event. The Seattle Sounders are among the teams playing in the tournament. Hans Hobson, executive director of the Tennessee State Soccer Association, suggested part of the problem is that, unlike the national teams that play in the World Cup, some of the club teams playing in Nashville are just not known to U.S. fans. 'It's not leagues that they watch. If it was the Premier League or the Bundesliga or something like that, then they'd go, 'Oh, I know players there. Let's go check it out,' Hobson said. There were tickets available to LAFC's match against Esperance Sportive de Tunisie in Nashville on June 20 for $24.45. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has traveled to several host cities to gin up enthusiasm. He has promised 'the world will be welcomed.' But some say the United States isn't exactly rolling out the red carpet for visitors in the current climate. 'I could see trepidation for anyone looking to travel to the U.S. at this current political climate,' said Canadian national team coach Jesse Marsch. 'So it's a sad thing, I think, that we have to talk about visiting the U.S. in this way but I think everybody has to make decisions that are best for them and that fit best with what's going on in their life and their lifestyle.'
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
How much has World Cup's global party been spoiled already by Trump's tantrums, threats?
Last month, when President Donald Trump was asked about growing tension between the United States and our 2026 World Cup co-hosts, Canada and Mexico, he said with a smile, 'Tensions are a good thing. It'll make it more exciting.' Apparently there is so much tension that it has become plural. Tensions. Hey, the more the merrier. The excitement has ramped up since Trump made that comment. Back then, the tensions involved just those three countries, and just the World Cup. Trump's recently announced travel ban on visitors from 19 countries has added more tensions/excitements. Now we can also tense up excitedly about the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 and even the Super Bowl in Santa Clara next year! Events like the Olympics and World Cup are world parties, and what we're doing is rearrange the schedule a bit. We're going to have the hangovers before the parties. Here's an interesting headline from Marca, Spain's daily sports newspaper: 'Trump, FIFA scandals spark movement planning to boycott 2026 World Cup.' Don't mind Spain. They're just cranky because of Trump's 20% tariffs on their exports of olive oil, auto parts and other goods. If only Spain would take a deep breath and remember that Trump's tariff policies change by the hour, so maybe better deals are ahead. Same with the new travel ban. Its effect on fans coming to America for the World Cup and the Olympics, and its implementation, are so vague and unknown that visitors from, say, Spain or Iraq might just have to get on the plane to America and hope for the best. American roulette: Maybe you come and go easily, maybe you accidentally wind up behind bars on Alcatraz. The Marca story says, 'As anger (at Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino) mounts, fan groups and some national associations are considering bold measures to demand change — including refusing to play or attend matches hosted in the U.S. unless FIFA addresses governance concerns and Trump's immigration policy is clarified.' Spain might not be the only whiny country. China doesn't seem thrilled with Trump's tariffs. Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin are slow dancing one day, mud wrestling the next. Canada is steamed about Trump's tariffs and bluster over Canada becoming the 51st state. Will future Olympics and World Cup host countries slap reciprocal travel bans and restrictions on U.S. fans? The tariffs, the travel ban, the broken alliances, the global political and financial chaos, all cast a pall over America's place in global sports. The Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium in February, the World Cup games in California next summer and the L.A. Olympics in 2028 could all be negatively impacted by Trump, who threatens to withhold billions in federal funding, and to levy high fines, because of the state following its own rules to let a high school trans athlete compete in the CIF state track meet. As for the more distant future? The host of the 2038 World Cup likely will be chosen later this year. One actual scenario that has been given credibility is that FIFA could name another set of tri-hosts: New Zealand, Fiji and the U.S. Considering recent developments, what FIFA voter in his/her right mind would send Trump another World Cup? Why would tariff-squeezed New Zealand agree to join hands with America? Crazy stuff, but you have to admit, it's exciting. Tensions up the wazoo. Deeper thoughts and cheaper shots • Rick Carlisle is on his way to NBA sainthood, assuming the requirement is the performance of two miracles. His Pacers' win in the first game of the NBA Finals on Thursday night put Carlisle three wins away from his second miracle. Carlisle coached the Mavericks to a title in 2011 over the heavily favored, LeBron-led Miami Heat superteam, after the Heat took a 2-1 lead. That Mavericks title got Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd their rings. Going into this season, the Pacers had the 15th best odds to win it all (per Basketball Reference). Just saying, maybe the guy's a good coach. • Still the worst idea in basketball since the invention of the Eurostep: The Commissioner's Cup in-season tournament. The WNBA one-ups the NBA by using a different ball for Cup games, a ball with alternating black and white panels instead of the regular fire orange and white. At least they didn't embed blinking lights in the seams. How about: Cut through the gimmicks and make each tournament game win count as 1½ wins? • Let's all thank Brock Purdy for signing that low-ish contract, quickly, thus sparing the San Francisco 49ers the ghastly task of sifting through the pile of discarded quarterbacks, and maybe plucking out Aaron Rodgers. The tinfoil-helmeted veteran agreed to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers about two weeks after Purdy inked his deal, so it's possible Rodgers was the 49ers' Plan B. But Rodgers is only 41, so maybe he'll stick around the game long enough to get a third shot at a 49ers' job. • Commissioner Adam Silver is starting to talk about NBA expansion. He's not naming names, but others are, and Las Vegas is at the top of most lists. That puts more pressure on A's owner John Fisher to get his ballpark built ASAP, because MLB really wants to beat the NBA to Vegas. The A's say actual construction will begin this month. A's fans in Vegas must be heartened by the fact that the team isn't squandering all its winning luck in West Sacramento.
