WHY THIS PETITION MATTERS:

Flying taxis are coming to Southern California soon, and the aviation industry is working to expand flying taxis nationally and internationally.

Archer Aviation in particular has ambitious launch plans for 2026 that will impact all Angelenos by adding a new layer of low-flying, loud, unsightly aircraft to our already over-crowded airspace.

This is an industry/lobby/$$$-driven movement that has not been transparent with the communities they will fly over. The aviation industry has sunk $22.2 billion into flying taxis nationwide, and they are desperate to see them succeed. 

The aviation industry provides unsupported claims that the vehicles are safe and have no significant negative impacts. They claim that flying taxis will alleviate traffic on roads and freeways, yet air taxis will only carry 2-4 people and most people will not be able to afford these flights. As a result, flying taxis will provide little or no benefit and will NOT help the congested traffic situation.

Behind closed doors, government representatives are being lobbied by the powerful aviation industry and will allow this to move forward unless they hear from you. Industry should be investing in real public transportation solutions, not gimmicks that will only be for the wealthy few, are untested, and will significantly degrade quality of life.

WHY WE OPPOSE:

WE OPPOSE Archer coming to Southern California in 2026, and the scaling up of flying taxis by the 2028 Olympics.

More broadly, WE OPPOSE “flying taxis” also known as Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) across all communities, for the following reasons, among others:

LOW ALTITUDES: At extraordinarily low altitudes (400 feet Above Ground Level), flying taxis will stack additional adverse impacts to health, safety, privacy, security, and quality of life onto people on the ground, resulting in a minor benefit for the privileged few who will use air taxis, in exchange for the staggering cost to the many who won’t.

CONGESTED SKIES CREATE VISUAL BLIGHT: Flying taxis will be a sea change impacting everyone and will be a visual blight on our landscape, especially after they scale up. It will change the character of neighborhoods, cities, states, and the nation, impacting quality of life for all.  

NOISE: Flying taxis are not actually quiet. Industry is proud that flying taxis are quieter than helicopters, but even all-electric flying taxis will have multiple loud rotors like helicopters, and with a cruising altitude below helicopters (only 400 feet Above Ground Level), flying taxis will sound similar to helicopters.  

FOR “HIGH INCOME USERS”: These air taxis are intended as a service for “high income users” so they can skip road congestion and save time by flying over your homes and protected nature spaces. How can this even be contemplated in places like Los Angeles where the homelessness crisis is out of control and people don’t feel safe riding Metro?

LACK OF LOCAL CONTROL AND TRANSPARENCY: FAA and the AAM industry lobbyists are working to block any state/local control of this world-changing, new type of aircraft. Southern California, and all local governments, must push back and exert control over infrastructure and flight paths, instead of working with the aviation industry to facilitate quick implementation.

LACK OF REGULATIONS: FAA intends to “fly now and regulate later,”  choosing to put these in the air as soon as possible without research, study, or specific regulation.

NO COMMUNITY NOTICE OR ENGAGEMENT: Industry and the FAA talk about community engagement as a key pillar, but only stakeholders in the aviation industry, or with a financial interest in aviation, have been meaningfully consulted. There is no evidence that the public wants or needs this new transportation modality.

HUGE SAFETY CONCERNS: Over time, the FAA and the aviation industry intend to scale up operations with thousands of flying taxis operating in high densities across most urban areas in the United States. What could go wrong?!

The State of California, County of Los Angeles, Cities of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Burbank and others across the country must band together to oppose flying taxis before they are implemented. We need to ACT NOW or it will be too late to change anything.

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Sign this PETITION. It will be sent to elected officials on federal, state, and local levels.
2. CONTACT YOUR ELECTED REPS and tell them you do not want flying taxis in your community.