Volocopter lifts off in Paris – but with a trial flight at a single airport

Volocopter reports it has completed a crewed test flight at the Aerodrome of Saint-Cyr-l’École, the first bespoke commercial vertiport for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) integrated within Volocopter’s approved flights routes in Paris. While this is a milestone for the company it is somewhat less than the four vertiport, two-route commercial passenger eVTOL network which programme partners had planned for the July Olympics  (see: https://www.urbanairmobilitynews.com/air-taxis/paris-2023-volocopter-and-group-adp-confirm-first-uam-routes-for-2024/).

“This flight initiated the eVTOL operational validation phase, a critical step to making electric flights a norm in the city and beyond,” said the company in a press release. “ The commencement of this phase holds immense significance for the entire Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) industry, as it will generate practical knowledge for integrating eVTOLs in vertiports and airspaces in megacities worldwide.

“The crewed Volocopter aircraft took flight from the inaugurated vertiport of the Aerodrome of Saint-Cyr-l’Ecole, built by Groupe ADP, the company’s longstanding Parisian partner. With this flight, the partners begin their operational validation phase, a pre-commercial test series to mature the eVTOL ecosystem in France. This includes flight manoeuvres to and from the vertiport, ground handling, communication with air traffic control, and battery charging and management at vertiports. Validation testing at an eVTOL-bespoke and route-approved location in Saint-Cyr-l’École will give Volocopter a unique advantage in gathering first-hand data on improving its aircraft operations.

“This achievement results from over three years of collaborative efforts between Volocopter and Groupe ADP to advance multiple regulatory approvals on infrastructure and aircraft. This includes Volocopter’s advisory role involvement as the industry pioneer in the European eVTOL certification program, airspace operations, and infrastructure design influencing the development of the ready-to-operate St. Cyr vertiport brought to fruition by Groupe ADP.

According Dirk Hoke of Volocopter: “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.”

For this flight test campaign, the company was granted a permit to fly with support from the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), prior to receiving a Type Certification (TC) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).