Volocopter carries out a flight demonstration near Paris coinciding with the Olympic Games

The German startup Volocopter, which develops air taxis, had the ambitious aim of launching a commercial service during the Paris Olympic Games. Although this plan could not ultimately be carried out for various reasons, the company has carried out a demonstration flight near the French capital as an alternative.

Volocopter is a startup founded in the German city of Bruchsal, and among its achievements it can now count having successfully completed a crewed test flight at the French aerodrome of Saint-Cyr-l’École, located about 25 kilometres from the centre of Paris.

According to the company, this flight lasted barely two minutes, during which a pilot took off, flew a short circular route over the fields surrounding the aerodrome and landed. Instead of using the new Volocity model, Volocopter opted for the earlier model, the 2X, which is more than ten years old, as it currently seems somewhat more reliable.

Change of plans

Initially, Volocopter expected to offer its air taxi services for the first time during the Olympic Games in Paris, with three connecting routes and two sightseeing routes. However, these plans could not become reality because the company still needs to obtain the approval of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) through a certificate allowing it to operate commercial passenger flights. Another point against Volocopter’s original plan is that the city of Paris opposed the construction of a vertiport on the Seine, considering that it would be too costly and would benefit only a minority.

Despite these setbacks, the company is satisfied. Dirk Hoke, Volocopter’s current Chief Executive Officer, stated after the test flight carried out in France that the whole team feels incredibly proud of the progress made and of what it means to have flown at Saint-Cyr-l’École. He also pointed out that establishing operations in a city takes time to consolidate, and thanks to open communication and dedication, Volocopter has become a symbol of trust, both for its partners and for the main aviation authorities in Europe and the city of Paris, which now has one of the most advanced Urban Air Mobility networks in the world.

Hoke also announced that Volocopter still plans to use the floating vertiport on the Seine, near Austerlitz station, which he hopes will happen before the end of the year. According to him, the company is concentrating on obtaining certification for the VoloCity model and on starting the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) trial phase in Germany in 2025, in collaboration with its partner ADAC Luftrettung.