Paris Sets the Stage for eVTOL Validation

Volocopter successfully 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. This flight initiated the eVTOL operational validation phase, a critical step to making electric flights a norm in the city and beyond. The company believes the commencement of this phase holds immense significance for the entire Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) industry, as they believe 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, which was 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 maneuvers 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 allow Volocopter to gather first-hand data on improving its aircraft operations.

Volocopter had an advisory role in the European eVTOL certification program, airspace operations, and infrastructure design influencing the development of the St. Cyr vertiport brought to fruition by Groupe ADP.

Looking ahead, Dirk Hoke, CEO of Volocopter, said, “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 tremendous support from the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), prior to receiving a Type Certification (TC) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).