Velocopter to Launch Electric Air Taxi Services for Paris 2024 Olympics
The European eVTOL manufacturer Velocopter plans to launch three commercial routes in the Paris area next summer
Photo: Volocopter will be the first eVTOL operator to test VoloCity in Paris. Courtesy of Volocopter.
Flying taxi manufacturer, Velocopter has announced it is on track to deliver its eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) services in time for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
The Urban Air Mobility (UAM) pioneers made the announcement alongside the Parisian airport operator Groupe ADP and the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) during the Paris Air Show, which took place last week in the French capital.
The eVTOL manufacturer performed a demonstration flight during the show, demonstrating its silent and versatile flying abilities.
Photo: Volocopter delegation at the Paris Air Show. Courtesy of Volocopter.
According to Velocopter, the company is on track to launch commercial services in Paris with its VoloCity air taxi for the Olympics next year.
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics are scheduled to run between July 26 and August 11, 2024, while the Paralympic Games will occur over 12 days from August 28, 2024.
The VoloCity is an eVTOL with two seats—one for the passenger and the pilot—with a maximum range of 21.75 miles (35km) and can reach speeds of up to 68 mph (110 kph). The electric flying taxi will be entirely battery-powered and will fly at an altitude of less than 1,640ft (500m). Velocopter also claims its ultra-efficient electric vehicles will be inaudible from the ground while flying.
Velocopter is expected to launch the service next year with an initial three routes, including between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Paris Le Bourget Airport (LBG), between the vertiport of Austerlitz barge and the Paris Heliport, and from the Paris Heliport to the Saint-Cyr Aerodrome near Versailles.
Photo: Proposed Paris VoloCity network. Courtesy of Volocopter.
“We are counting down the days to making electric air taxis a reality,” said Dirk Hoke, CEO of Velocopter. “Together with our French partners, we will take command in decarbonizing aviation, slowly but surely. Paris Air Show 2023 is the ultimate opportunity to show thousands of people the benefits of electric air taxis daily.”
Edward Arkwright, the Deputy CEO of Parisian airport operator Groupe ADP, said: “The 2023 Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, the cradle of aviation pioneers, will be the turning point in the take-off of new electric air mobility: the transition from dream to reality.
“All the indicators are green for a successful summer 2024. The challenges ahead are huge, but they are a great source of pride for all those involved in the project, with whom we share the conviction that carbon-free air travel also brings new services.”
Paris isn’t the only city set to have a commercial electric flying taxi service in the next few years. In the U.S., United Airlines has partnered with eVTOL manufacturer Archer Aviation to launch commercial air taxi routes in New York City and Chicago in 2025, while the carrier has also teamed up with Eve Air Mobility, intending to start commercial eVTOL flights in San Francisco in 2026. Elsewhere, projects are underway to begin services in Singapore, London, Tokyo, Mexico City, and more.
