Billionaire Stephen Ross backs $200 flying taxi rides to beat Miami traffic hell

The billionaire real estate magnate who owns the NFL’s Miami Dolphins is backing a flying taxi company that will charge $200 for a 30-minute ride from Miami to West Palm Beach, Fla.

Stephen Ross is putting his financial muscle behind Archer Aviation, helping its plans to fly between his private golf course in Hobe Sound and the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami with its electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or “eVTOL” vehicles, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The flights, which could start as soon as next year, will also service local airports, including the ones at Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.

Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer, told The Journal that South Florida’s booming population makes it an ideal setting for eVTOL flights.

“We believe South Florida is one of the best places in the country to do this,” he said.

Archer has already completed test flights in San Jose, Calif., where it is based. It plans to build out air taxi networks in Abu Dhabi, New York City and Los Angeles.

Archer flights will cut down on commuter time for tenants of his commercial and residential buildings in West Palm, Ross said.

“As areas become more popular, there’s more congestion and the more there’s more congestion … the more the need for this type of transportation,” he told The Journal. “The value of people’s time, that’s what it’s really all about.”

Archer’s flagship aircraft is known as the Midnight — a piloted four-passenger eVTOL that is significantly quieter than a helicopter.

Designed for short trips between 20 and 50 miles, the Midnight is said to be able to reach a top speed of 150 mph while carrying a payload capacity of more than 1,000 pounds.

Archer states that it hopes to roll out the technology in urban corridors plagued by severe traffic congestion.

Instead of car commutes that take an hour or longer, the eVTOL is touted as a means to cut down travel time to between 10 and 20 minutes per flight.

South Florida’s population has surged in recent years, fueled primarily by strong international migration that has more than offset domestic out-migration.

Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties all posted steady population growth from 2023 to 2024, helping make the region as one of the fastest-growing in the country.

The state of Florida’s total population jumped more than 8% between 2020 and last year, underscoring the broader growth trend benefiting South Florida.

But the population boom brings challenges — like an increase in highway congestion and wait times in traffic for commuters.

Traffic congestion between Miami and Palm Beach is severe and persistent, with major highways like I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike carrying peak daily volumes exceeding 200,000 vehicles, according to the US Department of Transportation.

Peak-hour delays are extreme — especially in Miami-Dade, where travel times can more than double due to heavy commuter flows.