October 1, AFP – Test flights of “flying taxis” will begin in the French capital Paris as early as June next year, officials said. The city is expecting a large influx of tourists for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The test flight will take place about an hour’s drive northwest of Paris, according to a joint statement from Groupe ADP, which operates the Ile-de-France region and Paris airports, and RATP. The event will take place at Pontoise-Cormeilles-en-Vexin airfield, located half a mile away.

The vehicle selected for the test flight was VoloCity, a fully electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft that resembles a drone. Manufactured by the German company Volocopter.

The joint statement said flying taxis are expected to become a new mode of transportation and that hosting the 2024 Olympics gives Paris the chance to pioneer the global market for urban air mobility.

The decision to conduct test flights will depend on residents’ consent, safety regulations, and air traffic regulations.

Additionally, arrangements for parking areas, charging spots, and ground signs will be made in the first half of next year.

Volo City is equipped with 18 rotor blades and nine battery packs, can carry two people per aircraft, and has a maximum payload of 200 kg (including baggage).

Volocopter has already conducted test flights around the world. Last October, it conducted its first urban test flight in Singapore.

The video is from the released “Volor City.” Photographed on September 30th. (c)AFP/Sonia WOLF