Volocopter takes off for a demonstration flight near Paris

The German air taxi startup Volocopter actually wanted to offer a commercial service during the Olympic Games in Paris. However, the ambitious plan failed for various reasons. Instead, a Volocopter took off for a demonstration flight near Paris yesterday.

The startup from Bruchsal in Germany has successfully completed a piloted test flight at the Saint-Cyr-l’École airfield, the first customised commercial vertiport for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL). The company had actually wanted to launch its air taxi from a vertiport floating in the Seine, but due to protests, Volocopter had to switch to this airfield on the outskirts of the French capital, which is around 25 kilometres from the city centre.

The test flight only lasted two minutes: A pilot launched the aircraft, took off and made a short loop over the fields surrounding the airfield. Instead of the new Volocity model, the startup used the ten-year-old predecessor model 2X.

Volocopter initially wanted to offer its air taxi services for the first time during the Olympic Games, namely on three connecting and two tourist routes. However, the plans came to nothing, partly because the company still needs a type certificate from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for passenger flights. In addition, the city of Paris opposed plans for a vertiport on the Seine, as it would be too expensive and only benefit the rich.

Nevertheless, the startup is now talking about success. “Everyone at Volocopter is incredibly proud of how far the company has come and what it means to fly today at Saint-Cyr-l’École,” says Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke. “City launches take time to establish a foothold on the ground, and through open communication and dedication, Volocopter has become an embodiment of trust, from our partners, Europe’s leading aviation authorities, and Paris which has become one of the most advanced IAM networks in the world.”

Hoke added that Volocopter also plans to utilise the floating vertiport on the Seine near Austerlitz station later this year. “Beyond that, we concentrate on the Type Certification of the VoloCity and will start the test phase of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Germany together with our partner ADAC Luftrettung in 2025.”

https://www.volocopter.com/en/newsroom/vc-paris-evtol-op-validation