Promise of flying taxis at Paris Olympics turns into short demonstration flight

While the vision of people flitting across Paris in air taxis during the Olympics Games did not materialise, German air mobility provider Volocopter carried out a crewed electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) demonstration flight at the Palace of Versailles, coinciding with the Games’ closing ceremony.

The failure to secure commercial air taxi services during the Games was not so much around the eVTOL technology but achieving safety certification. Ensuring the reliability of the eVTOL aircraft, especially in a densely populated area like Paris, requires rigorous testing and certification. A further complication is the regulatory frameworks for air traffic management and urban air mobility are still being developed.

Infrastructure challenges also played a role and building the necessary vertiports and integrating them into the city's transportation network would have been a more complex undertaking than initially envisaged.

In the event, Volocopter did not obtain the necessary approvals from the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) but can take credit for pursuing the ambition of French President Emmanuel Macron "to demonstrate innovation in France in the summer of 2024.”

A number of eVTOL companies initially expressed interest in the President’s challenge but fell by the wayside as the complexities became apparent, particularly relating to the safety certification process.

Another issue was noise levels. Although eVTOLs are generally quieter than traditional helicopters but they have unique sound characteristics. While lower in decibels, the pitch and frequency of the sound generated during takeoff and landing was considered potentially intrusive and alarming to residents.

Nevertheless, the possibility of some kind of air taxi service remained live even in the week up to the Olympics’ opening ceremony. Volocopter was partnering with the Paris regional government, the French capital’s transport operator RATP and airport operator ADP to fly passengers from a floating vertiport on the Seine.

Speaking at the Palace of Versailles demonstration, CEO of Volocopter Dirk Hoke said, “I am elated with the dedication and professionalism of the Volocopter team. Every new location and flight take tremendous effort from us, our partners, and authorities. The sustainable air mobility community is still at the start line, but today’s flight in this exceptional environment was the perfect closing ceremony to our summer, as we look forward to returning to Paris very soon.”