Volocopter collaborates with Groupe ADP to complete crewed eVTOL flight at Saint-Cyr Aerodrome

While Volocopter’s plans for ‘flying taxis’ at this year’s Paris Olympics failed to take-off, the electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVOTL) manufacturer is celebrating its own small win having performed a successful crewed demonstration flight with its 2X technology demonstrator. The flight, took-off and landed at the Aerodrome of Saint-Cyr-l’Ecole.

The French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC)  granted the permit to fly while the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a Type Certification.

Built by Groupe ADP, the St. Cyr vertiport is the first bespoke commercial vertiport for eVTOL integrated within Volocopter’s approved flight routes in Paris. As well as generating practical knowledge for integrating eVTOLS in vertiports and airspace across the globe, the test flight also initiated the eVTOL operational validation phase, marking a critical step in making electric flights a norm in the French capital and beyond.

Commenting on the delivery of the first vertiport network with the launch of Saint-Cyr l’Ecole, which completest its network in Ile de France (alongside Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Le Bourget, Paris-Issy les Moulineaux and Pontoise) Groupe ADP Deputy CEO, Edward Arkwright said: “For now, test flights are carried out without passengers, but once the aircraft is certified, we will test emergency medical flights with AP-HP (Ile-de-France University Hopsital Centre).”

He also noted that while innovation in the field of aeronautics needs time to remove obstacles regarding safety, “we remain convinced that new carbon-free air mobilities around eVTOLS will offer helpful services that go way beyond the transportation of passengers.”

The test flight is the result of more than three years of collaboration between Groupe ADP and Volocopter to advance multiple regulatory approvals on infrastructure and aircraft.

Dirk Hoke, Volocopter CEO expressed his delight at the flight saying “everyone at Volocopter is incredibly proud of how far the company has come and what it means to fly at Saint-Cyr-l’Ecole. 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.”

Continuing on its path to advance UAM, Volocopter plans to fly at Austerlitz vertiport later this year. “Beyond that, we are concentrating 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,” he said.

Image credit: Volocopter eVTOLs at the inauguration of Aerodrome of Saint-Cyr-l’Ecole veritport. [C] Volocopter