Germany’s Volocopter last year hatched a plan with international airport operator Groupe ADP to ferry spectators around the 2024 Paris Olympic Games using its VoloCity air taxi, which would mark the aircraft’s commercial rollout. The firm even extended an invite to French President Emmanuel Macron, whose government approved the flights earlier this year, to be its first passenger.

But the company was unable to certify its two-seat design, built for a pilot plus one passenger, in time to fly people at the global event.

Another eVTOL manufacturer, China’s AutoFlight, also partnered with Groupe ADP last year to demonstrate its self-flying Prosperity air taxi at the Games but has yet to announce any test flights.

Still, it wasn’t a total wash for Volocopter. The firm managed to complete two test flights, one on Wednesday and another on Sunday.

The first took place at the Aerodrome of Saint-Cyr-l’École (LFPZ), one of five sites where the partners are constructing vertiports to support commercial operations. These vertical takeoff and landing hubs, similar to heliports, are built with electric charging stations to support eVTOL aircraft.

Big Plans for Paris

Groupe ADP is developing additional vertiports at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG), Paris-Le Bourget Airport (LFPB), and Paris Heliport, as well as a special floating landing pad on the River Seine that Volocopter can use until the end of the year. These five locations will be linked by five eVTOL air taxi routes: three public transit routes and two round-trip tourism routes.

According to Volocopter, the vertiport at Saint-Cyr-l’École is the first bespoke commercial location within its approved Paris route network. Wednesday’s crewed test flight was conducted under a permit to fly awarded by France’s Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), kicking off an operational validation test campaign.

The company will need to demonstrate flight maneuvers around the vertiport, ground handling, communication with air traffic control, battery charging, and more. The campaign is the culmination of years of testing at Pontoise airfield, the site of Paris’ first inaugurated vertiport.

“For now, test flights are carried out without passengers, but once the aircraft is certified, we will test emergency medical flights with AP-HP (Ile-de-France University Hospital Centre),” said Edward Arkwright, deputy CEO of Groupe ADP. “Innovation in the field of aeronautics needs time to remove obstacles regarding safety, but we remain convinced that new carbon-free air mobilities around eVTOLs will offer helpful services that go way beyond the transportation of passengers.”

Volocopter followed that test flight with a second at the World Heritage Palace of Versailles on Sunday, soaring over the palace’s lush gardens during a demonstration attended by Groupe ADP and DGAC officials.

The venue hosted several 2024 Olympic events and was the site of the first hot-air balloon flight by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783. Authorization for the flight was awarded on the final day of the Games by the Château de Versailles, City of Versailles, Yvelines Prefecture, and DGAC.

“The sustainable air mobility community is still at the start line, but today’s flight in this exceptional environment was the perfect closing ceremony to our summer, as we look forward to returning to Paris very soon,” said Dirk Hoke, CEO of Volocopter.

The company said it hopes to fly in central Paris later this year, with aspirations to launch passenger operations from its river barge vertiport on the Seine. A Groupe ADP official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) the partners hope to fly passengers over the river by the time Notre Dame Cathedral, which burned down more than five years ago, is reopened in December.

Volocopter next year also expects to begin trials of an emergency medical service in Germany with partner ADAC Luftrettung, which last year agreed to purchase two custom-built VoloCity aircraft and could buy as many as 150.

Why Didn’t They Fly?

Beyond test flights, the firm’s primary goal is to obtain type certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the elusive approval that would have allowed it to fly passengers at the Olympics. So far, only one eVTOL manufacturer—China’s EHang—has received type certification from its country’s aviation regulator, though many others have begun the process.

Arkwright told AFP that Volocopter’s VoloCity suffered “a delay of a few weeks” in certification due to issues affecting the aircraft’s motor. The air taxi features 18 motors and rotors powered by electricity from nine lithium-ion battery packs, giving it a range of about 19 nm at a cruise speed approaching 60 knots.

Hoke said the issue traces back to “an American supplier who was not capable of providing what he had promised.”

Passenger flights at the Olympics also faced political barriers from local French officials, many of whom characterized the project as environmentally harmful and air taxis as a service for the wealthy. In response, Volocopter and Groupe ADP have altered their tone by touting other use cases, such as emergency response.

Paris’ city hall even took legal action against the proposal, but according to AFP, French administrative officials ruled against it “pending a decision on the merits of the case, expected in the autumn.”

Though Volocopter failed to meet its goal, the company will have another chance to showcase its aircraft on the world stage at the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. By then, the FAA expects to have laid the groundwork for commercial air taxi routes to be flown routinely.

Manufacturer Archer Aviation earlier this month expressed its desire to be flying in the city by the time the Games begin, while competitors Joby Aviation and Wisk Aero, the eVTOL subsidiary of Boeing, plan to operate there as well. Wisk further intends to demonstrate its self-flying design at the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane.

The companies’ objective is to boost public acceptance of the novel aircraft, which they claim will be far quieter and more sustainable than helicopters. Some have already managed to convince major U.S. airlines, including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines, to make investments or commitments to the technology.

Among American manufacturers, Archer and Joby are the closest to receiving type certification. Both companies hope to begin flying passengers next year.

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The post Air Taxis Missed Paris Olympics Goal—Could They Soar in LA? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Canadian Olympic Committee is appealing a decision by the FIFA Appeal Committee to dock the team six points in the Paris Olympic Games soccer competition’s group stage—effectively dashing the team’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stage—over allegations of filming the practices of its first opponent, New Zealand.

The scandal has several layers, with various reports alleging Canada has used drones to spy on other teams’ practices for years, including the U.S. men’s and women’s teams. Multiple Canada Soccer staffers, including women’s head coach Bev Priestman, have either stepped aside or been suspended for the remainder of the Olympic Games.

Carla Qualtrough, Canada’s minister of sport and physical activity, even released a statement on the incident, calling it “deeply regrettable.”

Here’s everything you need to know:

Eyes in the Sky

On July 23, the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) in a statement said a drone was flown over the team’s training grounds in Saint Etienne, France.

French police identified the drone operator as Joseph Lombardi, a support staff member for the Canadian women’s team. After admitting to spying, Lombardi was sentenced to 18 months in prison by a French prosecutor’s office on Wednesday.

While spying on another team’s practice wouldn’t win the match for Canada, it could provide coaches with inside information on tactics, such as during highly strategized free kick situations.

“The NZOC and New Zealand Football are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games and are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident, which occurred just three days before the sides are due to face each other in their opening game of Paris 2024,” the NZOC said in its statement.

Also on July 24, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said it had learned of a second drone spying incident at another New Zealand practice, leading it to suspend Lombardi and an assistant coach.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair play, and we are shocked and disappointed,” the COC said. “We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee.”

In addition, Priestman, who led the Canada squad to a gold medal match win over Sweden at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, decided to step aside from coaching the team’s opening game—a 2-1 win over New Zealand on Thursday—amid the opening of an investigation by FIFA.

“I am absolutely heartbroken for the players, and I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart for the impact this situation has had on all of them,” Priestman said in a statement. “I know how hard they have worked following a very difficult year in 2023, and that they are a group of people who care very much about sportsmanship and integrity. As the leader of the team on the field, I want to take accountability, and I plan to fully cooperate with the investigation.”

Down the Rabbit Hole

On Friday, Priestman was suspended for the remainder of the 2024 Olympics by Canada Soccer, which said that the scandal runs much deeper.

Kevin Blue, CEO and general secretary of the organization, said Canadian teams have been using drones to spy on opponents even before Paris.

“Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous  drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” Blue said in a statement.

Sources told Canada’s TSN, which is partially owned by ESPN, that Canada Soccer staffers used drones to spy on other teams’ closed-door practices even during the team’s gold medal-winning Tokyo Olympics run. The sources also allege drones were used to film Panama and Honduras women’s team practices after those Games.

One source told TSN that staffers were told they could lose their jobs if they did not comply with requests to film other practices. In one case, a contractor, who was scheduled to fly to Australia for the 2023 World Cup, had their trip canceled because they refused a demand to record opponents. A Canada Soccer staffer flew in their stead to capture the video, the source alleges.

TSN also said it reviewed text messages from a women’s soccer coach about secretly filming opponents from Costa Rica, South Korea, and Trinidad and Tobago in 2022.

An ESPN report on Saturday added to the scandal, with sources connected to U.S. Soccer telling the outlet that Canada’s drone-spying incident is not an outlier. The sources recounted several incidents of alleged spying on both the U.S. women’s and men’s soccer teams as recently as the 2024 Copa América tournament, as well as on other countries’ squads.

Another ESPN report alleges that the scandal goes all the way to the top, with Priestman and another coach having been aware of Canada Soccer’s covert use of drones for years, either before or after the fact.

It is possible, if unlikely, that the Canadian team’s gold medal in Tokyo could be revoked following FIFA’s investigation, according to COC CEO David Shoemaker.

Keeping Drones Out of Sports

The sporting world more widely has faced its fair share of drone-related woes as the buzzing aircraft begin to proliferate.

The NFL, for example, is contending with thousands of unauthorized drone flights over games and practices every season, to the point where the FAA has been forced to step in. The NFL, MLB, NCAA, and NASCAR have all backed a congressional bill that would grant government and law enforcement officials more power to jam or take down rogue aircraft.

A potentially bigger issue, though, is preventing those flights from happening in the first place. Stakeholders have struggled to find an answer despite the FAA creating temporary flight restrictions around games and practices for most major U.S. sports leagues.

Regulations, such as the FAA’s remote ID rule, will help federal and regional agencies keep an eye on the drones with digital license plates. But at present there is little recourse to actually prevent a drone from flying into stadium airspace.

The issue is one the U.S.—and Canada, evidently—will need to address as more drones take to the skies.

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Instead, that distinction is held by AutoFlight, which has sneakily climbed to the No. 8 spot in SMG’s rankings in recent months. In February, it eclipsed Joby’s 2021 high-water mark with a 155-mile jaunt near its headquarters in China. Now, Autoflight, which only began focusing on passenger eVTOL in 2021, is ready to put more eyes on its aircraft.

At the Paris Air Show on Thursday, AutoFlight announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Groupe ADP, a Paris-based international airport operator, to conduct experimental flights of its Prosperity I eVTOL at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

One of several eVTOL manufacturers set to demonstrate air taxi technology at the global event, AutoFlight will fly its long-range aircraft out of Pontoise vertiport, a dedicated test bed for AAM technologies. 

Developed by Skyports and Groupe ADP with the backing of several aviation bodies and regional authorities, the airfield has been outfitted with AAM infrastructure such as takeoff and landing zones, a passenger terminal, and a fully equipped maintenance hangar.

“Pontoise vertiport, equipped with exceptional infrastructure and facilities, serves as an optimal platform to support electric, innovative aircraft,” said Edward Arkwright, Groupe ADP’s deputy CEO. “This collaboration resonates with our commitment to delivering sustainable and efficient aircraft infrastructure as we continue to pave the way for the future of aviation.”

AutoFlight and Groupe ADP did not provide many details of the planned experimental flights. But the partners did note they will be piloted and contribute to the development of infrastructure for five additional Paris Region vertiports, scheduled to be completed by 2024.

“We aim to showcase the immense potential of [AAM,]” said Mark Henning, managing director for AutoFlight Europe and former program manager for Airbus. “Our 250 km-range eVTOLs will operate in real-world conditions, highlighting their capabilities in urban environments and their invaluable contribution to sustainable logistics and mobility.”

AutoFlight’s Prosperity I is an all-electric, lift-plus-cruise aircraft built to fit four passengers and a pilot. Powered by 10 lift propellers and three push propellers with a battery capacity of 160 kWh, it can carry payloads of 770 pounds as far as 155 miles (about 134 nm) at 124 mph (around 107 knots), all on a single charge. That makes it one of the rangiest known eVTOL designs. But Prosperity I is also fairly quiet, producing 65 dBA—roughly the volume of a normal conversation—while hovering.

Until this week, not much was known about the interior of the aircraft. But at the Paris Air Show, AutoFlight showcased its sleek, eco-friendly design for thousands of attendees. Prosperity I’s interior was crafted by Frank Stephenson, the architect behind vehicles from marquee automakers such as Ferrari, Maserati, McLaren, Ford, BMW, and Mini.

In 2011, Motor Trend magazine dubbed the Moroccan-American “one of the most influential car designers working in the industry.”

“Designing the interior of the Prosperity I has been a phenomenal journey,” Stephenson said. “Our aim was to create an environment that evokes a sense of safety, comfort, and innovation…The welcoming interior has been achieved through the innovative application of natural organic shapes, new soft touch materials, and a clever system of interior mood lighting.”

Based on Stepheson’s description and images of Prosperity I’s interior shared with FLYING, the aircraft looks and sounds like a luxury sedan for the skies. Interestingly, though, it’ll be relatively cheap for a new aircraft—Prosperity I is expected to cost around $150,000.

But according to AutoFlight founder and CEO Tian Yu, the company already has 670 orders for the eVTOL, all in Asia. That includes an agreement with Singapore’s EvFly for the purchase of 205 passenger and cargo aircraft, which will be operated in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

However, the Chinese manufacturer will first need to tackle certification. The Prosperity I model on display in Paris is expected to be AutoFlight’s final proof-of-concept design before it turns to a type-conforming prototype for the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), Yu said this week.

The firm will first attempt to certify an uncrewed cargo version of Prosperity I, the Carryall, for which the CAAC has already provided a basis for certification. The Carryall is nearly identical to its crewed counterpart aside from its increased payload capacity (around 1,100 pounds) and will achieve CAAC certification by 2024, according to Henning.

Prosperity I CAAC certification is expected two to three years later, followed by European Union Aviation and Safety Agency approval at a greater safety level (one accident per one billion flight hours) one to two years after that. FAA certification would come next.

That’s a lengthy flight path. But AutoFlight in 2022 said it had completed more than 10,000 takeoffs and landings with Prosperity I prototypes, including in adverse weather conditions. That success has apparently bred confidence as Yu said the firm is constructing a new factory that will eventually be able to produce 1,000 aircraft per year.

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