German aerospace company Volocopter is expected to fly its VoloCity eVTOL aircraft at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Volocopter is currently in discussions with authorities to obtain permission to begin the ‘operational validation’ phase which would start in August.
The operational validation phase allows the VoloCity to fly for demonstration purposes only, and it is not permitted to carry passengers as the company did not receive approval in time for commercial flights at the games.
“During this phase, it is of utmost importance to us and our partners to demonstrate how urban air mobility can improve the lives of city dwellers, especially when the world’s eyes are on Paris,” a Volocopter Spokesperson told Zag Daily.
France’s Government has approved Paris airport operator Aeroports de Paris SA to build a vertiport on the River Seine which only the VoloCity will be permitted to use.
The vertiport, called Vertiport de Paris-Austerlitz, will be allowed to operate between 8am and 5pm with two flights per hour and a limit of 900 flights during the entire event. It can continue to operate between these hours until December 31 2024.
Volocopter has been working with Paris’ Groupe ADP and the city’s public transit operator RATP over the last three years to pave the way for a two-year trial phase in the capital.
The company is aiming to receive type certification for its VoloCity aircraft by the end of 2024 which would allow it to carry passengers.
