Paris will prevent Flugtaxis during Olympia
The French government authorizes a takeoff and landing site for flying taxis on the Seine in Paris during the Olympics. The city administration is trying to prevent this. The vehicles are already operating outside the city.
The dispute over the operation of Volocopter's flying taxis in Paris continues. Shortly after the French government granted approval for a floating takeoff and landing platform on the Seine, the city administration announced legal action against it. They will apply for a preliminary injunction against the test operation of flying taxis during the Summer Olympics, city environmental representative Dan Lert announced.
The city council had previously adopted a communist party motion calling for the removal of the platform on the Seine and the end of the flying taxi project. "Flying taxis are an ecological absurdity for the ultra-rich," Lert of the Greens said. It is also a "democratic scandal" that the government decided to "forcefully implement" the project, he added.
A flight with an electric flying taxi, which functions similarly to a drone, consumes 30 times more energy than a subway ride and emits 45 times more greenhouse gases, Lert explained. The Volocopter press office commented on the concerns initially without response.
Flying taxis can already fly outside the city
The government gave the green light for a heliport near the Parisian train station Austerlitz on Tuesday. There are already several takeoff and landing sites for electric flying taxis outside the city limits.
Therefore, flying taxis can only fly for free for demonstration purposes. A permit for commercial operation is still pending. The heliport can only be used until the end of the year. A total of 900 flights are allowed to take place during this period.
Between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., only two flying taxis can take off or land per hour. The vehicle, which can carry two people, resembles a mini-helicopter. A circular structure with 18 small propellers is mounted on the roof.
The city administration's opposition to flying taxis at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris stems from environmental concerns, as they view the aircraft as an "ecological absurdity" and a "democratic scandal." Despite having operation sites outside the city, Air Taxis are restricted from commercial operations within Paris due to pending permits.
