For a long time it was uncertain whether Volocopter would be able to make good on its promise to let its flying taxis take to the skies during the international sporting event in Paris. Now there is news.
Shortly before the end of the Olympic Games, the air taxi manufacturer received a long-awaited flight permit for Paris. Flights with the electric aircraft, which take off and land vertically, are planned for this Thursday, among other things, as the company from Bruchsal in Baden announced.
At the start of the major sporting event, it was still unclear whether Volocopter and the French airport operator Groupe ADP would actually be able to implement their plans. The decision lay with the French civil aviation regulator DGAC and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency Easa.
Actually, more was planned
The test flights now planned are, however, a compromise. Volocopter and Groupe ADP had originally planned to offer a passenger-carrying air taxi service for the Olympic Games for the first time in the world. However, type approval from EASA is still missing. The European Aviation Safety Agency did not comment on the matter when asked.
Last year, the partners announced that air taxis would be launched in Paris on three connecting and two tourist flight routes. Five landing sites called vertiports were planned for this purpose, one of them on a pontoon on the Seine.
The Volocity model, which has a large ring with rotors on the roof, has room for one more person in addition to the pilot. The flying taxis should fly at an altitude of less than 500 meters and thus not be heard from the ground in urban environments.
The French Council of State recently rejected two applications against a temporary take-off and landing area for air taxis in the center of Paris. The city of Paris and several organizations had questioned the legality of the order for the operation.
Alternative to public transport and air rescue?
Like other companies, Volocopter wants to revolutionize air traffic. One of the aims is to balance out traffic jams in cities and connect other forms of public transport. In addition to Paris, the list of cities where Volocopter wants to launch includes Rome and Osaka – but not German cities because the cities here are not as densely populated and have self-sufficient local transport networks.
In Germany, Volocopter is working with ADAC Air Rescue to test its use for medical and rescue purposes.
The high costs expected for the flights are repeatedly criticized. It is not known how much it will cost to build the two-seaters, which weigh more than 500 kilograms.
Recently there had been debates about state support amounting to millions. After a rejection from Baden-Württemberg, there was even talk of moving the headquarters to Bavaria because the Free State had initially shown itself to be more open. In the end, however, the Bavarians decided against it and Volocopter received the money it needed from investors. According to previous information, the company employs around 650 people in Bruchsal alone.
Source: Stern
