Volocopter, a German company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, continues to make efforts to overcome obstacles to launching a commercial flying taxi service. According to Reuters, the company expects to launch the world’s first commercial flying taxi service in Paris before the Olympic Games, which begin on July 26, 2024.
Volocopter will be able to demonstrate the progress made in the field of electric aircraft at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, which will open on June 23 this year. Although this event is usually dedicated to military and commercial vehicles, it is a good opportunity for eVTOL developers to attract the attention of potential investors.
“The Olympic Games are our guiding star,” said Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke. According to analysts, the success of one of the eVTOL companies could stimulate the accelerated development of the industry, convincing risk-averse investors that flying taxis are worth investing in.
So far, none of the eVTOL developers has managed to pass the certification required to launch a commercial flying taxi service. Volocopter plans to be the first, but the company still has to conduct intensive weather tests of its aircraft and provide thousands of pages of related documentation to the regulator, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). According to the source, Volocopter plans to conduct intensive weather tests of its aircraft in Germany next month.
Although Volocopter has high hopes for the eVTOL sector, many other players, according to analysts, will face difficulties or go bankrupt in the next few years. According to the McKinsey consulting firm, funding for eVTOL projects in the first half of this year decreased from about $1.2 billion to $710 million compared to the same period last year.
