A German flying taxi maker canceled plans to transport passengers with its futuristic drones during the Paris Olympics due to delays in certifying its engine, according to the company.
Volocopter, a maker of personal aerial vehicles, had been testing flying taxis in the Paris region for several years and lobbied European authorities to allow it to introduce the two-seater helicopter-like VoloCity plane in time for the Summer Games, which end on on sunday.
The original plan was for VoloCity — which is powered by 18 electric rotors, has a range of 22 miles and can reach speeds of up to 69 mph — to conduct test flights during the Games that would land on a float in the Seine. River near Austerlitz railway station in south-east Paris.
The aim was to demonstrate the efficiency of the technology in transporting passengers from take-off and landing sites.
But officials refused to approve certification for the engine citing safety concerns – causing a delay of several weeks, according to the AFP news agency.
“We are a little disappointed, but in any case we had said that we would not compromise on safety,” Edward Arkwright, deputy CEO of ADP, the company that operates French airports, told AFP.
Dirk Hoke, CEO of Volocopter, said the delay was caused by “a US supplier that was unable to deliver what it had promised”.
He said the engines would return to France next week, but not in time for test flights to be held in Paris before the Olympics close.
The company will resume flights without passengers to 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 praised 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 subsidiary of Google, has already used electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles to deliver packages.
Santa Cruz, California-based company Joby Aviation is among the many manufacturers of air taxis.
Joby said on Tuesday it has formally applied to have its aircraft certified for use in Australia.
Joby’s application to the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority for a Federal Aviation Administration type certification endorsement utilizes a bilateral agreement between US and Australian regulators on the 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 certification process with the FAA.
The company’s eVTOL aircraft is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph.
By postal wire
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