In Paris, the capital of France, for the first time, an unmanned taxi took a passenger from Pontoise-Cormeilles Airport outside the city and took to the air traffic and flew around while other aircraft were flying nearby. The taxi was reported to be an eight-propeller electric helicopter. The unmanned taxi produced by the German company Volocopter is preparing to make its first commercial flight in 2024. Test pilot Paul Stone, who controls the unmanned taxi from the ground while in the air, stated that the aircraft's digitally controlled flight system and multiple propellers make the aircraft's flight much easier than traditional helicopters.
Valérie Pecresse, the head of the Ile-de-France region, which is one of the regions that contributed financially to the development of the aircraft, said that the development of the low-altitude aviation sector for urban air transportation is an adventure full of promises.
Dirk Hoke, the Executive Director of Volocopter, announced that they will begin applications to license the aircraft within the next 18 months, and stated that they plan to start short commercial flights in 2024 when Paris will host the Summer Olympic Games.
The company aims to make two-seater aircraft capable of flying fully automatically and with passengers only, but this requires many stages such as infrastructure, airspace integration, and public acceptance.
Volocopter is in a costly race with other companies operating worldwide such as Lilium, Joby Aviation, and Airbus to obtain its first flying taxi license, and aims to achieve this goal within two years.
Source:
https://tr.euronews.com/2022/11/10/insansiz-ucan-taksi-parisin-hava-trafiginde-ilk-turunu-atti
