Volocopter will not operate an air taxi service at the Olympic Games in Paris after all, due to delays in the approval of the engine, AFP Reports.
The setback is a major blow for the German startup, which has been lobbying intensively for months to get its electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL) ready in time for the Games.
In July, French authorities gave Volocopter’s two-seater 18-rotor aircraft the go-ahead to take off. The mini-helicopters were to carry passengers, including French President Emmanuel Macronto and from a “vertiport” built on a barge on the Seine.
However, the approval of the flying taxi's engines has been delayed by several weeks, stalling the plans. Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke told AFP that the delay was due to “an American supplier who was unable to deliver what he had promised.”
TNW Conference 2025 – Back to NDSM on June 19-20, 2025 – Save the date!
Having concluded our incredible 2024 edition, we are delighted to announce our return to Amsterdam NDSM in 2025. Register now!
However, Volocopter will conduct test flights without passengers today and Sunday at an airfield in the town of Saint Cyr l'Ecole, west of Paris.
Volocopter conducted a manned test of its air taxi at Saint Cyr l'Ecole airfield on Thursday, August 8, 2024. Photo credit: Volocopter
Hot air (taxi)?
Volocopter has raised over $750 million in funding and hoped that conducting flights at the Paris Olympics would draw global attention to its technology.
Air taxi startups and their backers believe the electric aircraft could provide a low-carbon alternative to cars, easing urban congestion. Some, including Volocopter, even plan to use them as rescue or medical vehicles.
However, air taxis have so far failed to live up to expectations – and the million-dollar bets of wealthy venture capitalists.
Startups like Volocopter, UK’s Vertical aerospaceAnd lily are all facing delays in bringing their eVTOLs to market. This is partly due to the fact that the development, construction and certification of an entirely new aircraft type A complex, lengthy and extremely expensive process .
In addition, the current versions of the aircraft can only carry a handful of passengers at most. Attract criticism as a transport solution for the elite. The Paris City Hall has described Volocopter’s Olympic plans as “absurd” and “ecological mistake.” One city councilor described the project as a “useless and extremely environmentally damaging gadget for a few ultra-privileged people in a hurry.”
Still, Volocopter remains committed to getting its eVTOLs off the ground. After the Olympics, the company will conduct two years of test flights in the Paris region. Hoke described this as a “learning phase” aimed at gaining public trust.
According to AFP, Volocopter will need 25 to 30 million euros for the two-year demonstration flights around Paris – and between 200 and 300 million euros to enter the market.
In May Financial Times reported that Volocopter was in “urgent talks” to secure fresh capital for its growth plans. The startup is in talks with existing and new investors from Europe to help “stabilize the company,” Hoke told the newspaper.
Volocopter is currently building a new four-seat aircraft that could be ready in late 2026 or early 2027. However, given the track record of eVTOL startups, I would view this timeline with a fair amount of skepticism.
Comments are closed.