Volocopter Completes Inaugural eVTOL Flight at the Palace of Versailles
Volocopter, a pioneer in sustainable air mobility, has successfully executed the world’s first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) flight test at the World Heritage site of the Palace of Versailles. This significant flight marks the culmination of this summer’s comprehensive operational validation test campaign at the Aerodrome of Saint-Cyr-l’Ecole and Versailles. Volocopter and its partners plan to return to Paris later this year to conduct a pilot of our eVTOL aircraft over the heart of Paris.
At the break of dawn in Versailles, the Volocopter aircraft ascended against the historic panorama of the Grand Trianon and its gardens. This momentous flight was commemorated with the company’s enduring Parisian collaborators, Groupe ADP and the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), who tirelessly coordinated the event. The flight’s success serves as a profound endorsement of confidence in the aircraft’s safety and the Volocopter brand by the French and European aviation authorities, partners, and spectators of our numerous global flights.
“I am elated with the dedication and professionalism of the Volocopter team who spent months to get where we are today. Every new location and flight take tremendous effort from us, our partners, and authorities. 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.” Dirk Hoke – CEO Volocopter
New partnership agreement sees SITA join Volocopter’s Series E funding round
Bruchsal, Germany/Amsterdam, Netherlands, 14 March 2023 – Volocopter, the pioneer of urban air mobility (UAM), and SITA, the world’s leading IT provider to the air transport industry, have entered a partnership, with SITA selected as Volocopter’s preferred digital and IT systems partner for vertiports.
Under the agreement, SITA has become the latest investor to join Volocopter’s Series E funding round, cementing the strategic vision espoused by this partnership.
UAM will offer a new form of sustainable aviation, replete with multiple mobility options to cities worldwide. The company’s launch product, the VoloCity electric air taxi, will operate routes in congested megacities to offer future passengers stable, quiet, and safe flights. Flights can be hailed via designated boarding points (or “vertiports”). The partnership therefore has the potential to shape aviation industry standards.
SITA will deploy its expertise in air transport for the emerging UAM industry, developing new operating standards and a digital-first passenger experience. SITA’s portfolio includes a wide range of IT solutions, including airport management and operations, passenger operations, flight and aircraft operations, baggage processing, and border management.
READ more on SITA & Volocopter Collaborate on Digital Infrastructure for Vertiports – Rhapsody Magazine (rhapsody-magazine.com)
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Volocopter, the pioneer of urban air mobility (UAM), flew at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) AirVenture 2021 in Wisconsin. The Volocopter 2X flight was the first ever public crewed test flight of a fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi in the US. This successful flight marks a key milestone in Volocopter’s plan to raise awareness of air taxis among populations around the globe and is critical to the long-term success of delivering advanced air mobility (AAM) and urban air mobility (UAM) solutions.
The crewed Volocopter 2X took off at 2:45 PM CST for a 4-minute flight at ~164 ft and a top speed of 18 mph over Wittman Regional Airport as part of EAA’s AirVenture aviation celebration.
Event attendees were able to watch the Volocopter 2X fly and take a seat in the VoloCity model at Volocopter’s booth to experience these aircraft. Nicknamed the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration,” more than 600,000 visitors are expected to come to see pioneering designs in action.
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Exploring Business Opportunities of Air Mobility Services in Japan Utilizing eVTOL
Japan Airlines (JAL) and Volocopter GmbH (Volocopter) entered into a cooperation agreement to promote the development of the urban air mobility industry for next generation air transportation options of passengers and goods.
In February 2020, Japan Airlines Innovation Fund invested in Volocopter, which is aiming to create and bring next-generation electrically powered air taxis and heavy lift cargo drone technology to the market, as part of their Series C funding round. With this agreement, JAL and Volocopter will strengthen their partnership to jointly explore business opportunities for air mobility services, specifically Volocopter’s eVTOL technology, in Japan.
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