Originally, the promoters of these electric flying taxis had announced an experiment during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, taking off from a barge located near Austerlitz.
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The project to fly flying taxis “will be postponed by a few weeks, but we remain hopeful of flying this machine over the Seine before the reopening of Notre-Dame,” scheduled for next December, announced on franceinfo, Thursday August 8, Augustin de Romanet, chairman and CEO of the ADP group (Aéroports de Paris). It is a “real brake”he acknowledges.
Originally, the promoters of these electric flying taxis had announced an experiment during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, taking off from a barge located near Austerlitz. In May 2023, on franceinfo, Augustin de Romanet considered selling “a few thousand tickets at very reasonable prices”, “around 110 euros” for the Games.
He finally gave up due to lack of engine certification. “American engine suppliers have had minor delivery difficulties”confides the boss of ADP. “The engine had small vibrations which justified the EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) asking the American manufacturer to make modifications”he specifies.
ADP and its German partner Volocopter nevertheless plan “a world first” climbing “in a few hours” the take-off of one of these flying taxis “of one of the most beautiful and iconic places in the world, which is the Grand Trianon, from a non-public platform”says Augustin de Romanet.
The developers are due to inaugurate a vertiport on Sunday morning in Saint-Cyr-l’École, at the end of the park of the Palace of Versailles. “From 6:33 a.m. [juste après le lever du soleil]our machine will be able to rise into the sky above the Grand Trianon and allow us to show exceptional images of a machine that is called upon to save many lives”explains the CEO of ADP. “For us, it is an innovation that is set to grow as it is carbon-free, silent and extremely flexible.”assures Augustin de Romanet.