Plans to debut electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi services at the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been scrapped after the certification for the engine failed to come through. German urban air mobility (UAM) pioneer, Volocopter, lobbied for authorisation ahead of the games but the setback highlights the critical safety requirements when pioneering new modes of transportation.
Dirke Hoke, CEO, Volocopter said the change in plans was due to “an American supplier who was not capable of providing what he had promised,” adding, “we are a little disappointed but in any case we had said that we would not make any compromises with security.”
Although the main test demonstrations will no longer go ahead, a successful crewed test flight took place at the Aerodrome of Saint-Cyr-l’École which Volocopter reported was the first bespoke commercial vertiport for eVTOL integrated within Volocopter’s approved flights routes in Paris. Commenting on the test, Hoke said:
“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. 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 […] We still aspire to fly at the Austerlitz vertiport 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.”
Adding a new mobility layer to a city is a complex process where safety must remain paramount. For insights from the CEO & Head of UAM at Airbus, Balkiz Sarihan, into what this process entails, watch this short conversation. To hear more on the topic in person, Billy Nolen, Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer at Archer will be answering the question, ‘is the industry ready for the developments in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)?’ at Aerospace Tech Week Americas. Book your ticket for free to find out the answer.
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