VERSAILLES, France: It was a captivating prospect of autonomous flying taxis zipping spectators around the Paris Olympics, their electric engines softly humming over the cityscape, heralding a new era in public transportation.
However, certification delays thwarted this vision. Yet, the supporters of the Volocopter aircraft, which was intended to transport Olympic fans, remain undeterred. On Sunday, they conducted a test flight, marking the conclusion of the 2024 Olympics with a sunrise demonstration over the stunning grounds of the Versailles palace.
The craft, carrying only baggage and no passengers, took off from the gardens of Versailles, the site of the first hot-air balloon flight in 1783. The Paris region had initially planned for a fleet of pilotless air taxis for the Olympics, to be operated by Germany’s Volocopter in partnership with the Paris airport authority, ADP. Five Olympic routes were proposed, including one that would land on a platform on the Seine River, with Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke even expressing hope that French President Emmanuel Macron would be his first passenger.
However, ADP’s CEO Augustin de Romanet announced on Thursday that they had failed to secure certification from Europe’s air safety agency in time for the Games. Despite this setback, manufacturers of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft remain optimistic about their future. Companies worldwide are striving to get their models approved for flight.
Volocopter now hopes to obtain permission to carry passengers over Paris during the city’s next major event: the reopening of the fire-damaged Notre Dame Cathedral in December. Meanwhile, competitors are working to ensure that the vision of Olympic spectators traveling between venues in autonomous flying vehicles becomes a reality for the next Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
