A German manufacturer of flying taxis scrapped plans to ferry passengers in its futuristic drones during the Paris Olympics due to delays in the certification of its engine, according to the company.
Volocopter, maker of personal air vehicles, had been testing flying taxis in the Paris region for several years and lobbied European authorities to allow it to introduce the two-seat helicopter-like “VoloCity” aircraft in time for the Summer Games, which conclude on Sunday.
The initial plan was to have the “VoloCity” — which is powered by 18 electric rotors, has a range of 22 miles and can reach speeds of up to 69 mph — conduct test flights during the Games that would land on a float on the Seine River near the Austerlitz railway station in southeastern Paris.
The aim was to showcase the technology’s efficiency in ferrying passengers from take-off and landing sites.
But officials declined to approve certification for the engine citing safety concerns — causing a weeks-long delay, according to the AFP news agency.
“We are a little disappointed, but in any case we had said that we would not make any compromises with security,” Edward Arkwright, the deputy CEO of ADP, the company that operates French airports, told AFP.
Dirk Hoke, the CEO of Volocopter, said the delay was caused by “an American supplier who was not capable of providing what he had promised.”
He said the motors would be sent back to France next week but not in time for the test flights to be held in Paris before the Olympics close.
The company will resume flights without passengers in a suburb west of Paris.
While the project has government approval, Paris city officials have criticized it as catering to the ultra-rich and causing noise pollution.
Autonomous air taxis that can take off vertically have been touted for their climate benefits as well as their potential to reduce highway congestion.
Last October, a Chinese company, Ehang, became the first in the world to receive airworthiness certification for its fully autonomous, passenger-carrying air taxis.
Wing, a Google subsidiary, has already used electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOL) for package delivery.
The Santa Cruz, Calif.-based company Joby Aviation is among the numerous makers of air taxis.
Joby said on Tuesday that it has formally applied for its aircraft to be certified for use in Australia.
Joby’s application to Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority for an Federal Aviation Administration-type certification validation leverages a bilateral agreement between US and Australian regulators for mutual recognition of aviation approvals and certifications.
The company aims to begin commercial passenger service in 2025 and is currently in the third of a five-stage process of certification with the FAA.
The company’s eVTOL aircraft is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph.
With Post wires
