Will there really be flying taxis at the 2024 Paris Olympics?
It may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but flying taxis will apparently make their debut in the skies above Paris in the summer of 2024. Here's what we know about their feasibility, routes and prices.
The idea of 'flying taxis' has been talked about for years, but after displaying their machines at this year's Paris Air Show, operators say they are ready to launch and will be able to offer flying taxis in Paris during the Olympics next year.
So what is the taxi, exactly?
When thinking of 'flying taxis' one might conjure up ideas of a hovering taxi car, passing other vehicles on the road but never touching the ground.
However the device displayed by the Volocopter group - known as an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) - is more of a small helicopter or even a large drone. It is four times quieter than a typical helicopter, according to Volocopter, and powered by an electric battery.
Un vol de démonstration du taxi volant de la société Volocopter, qui sera utilisé lors des Jeux olympiques de 2024, a eu lieu au Salon international de l'aéronautique et de l'espace (SIAE) au Bourget pic.twitter.com/kDPAYcVOrI
— Bops (@BeaupinEric) June 19, 2023
So where will the flying taxis go?
For the Olympics, the idea is really more of a shuttle service linking the city and its airports.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Le Bourget Airport (which handles private jets) will be linked to to the city, with a 'vertiport' set to be installed along the Seine river in southeast Paris, near Quai Austerlitz. The ride between the CDG airport and the city will take around 10 minutes, in comparison to approximately 45 minutes to an hour that is customary when driving or taking the RER train.
Île-de-France president Valerie Pécresse told AFP that the region will spend €1 million to build the barge.
According to Ouest France, the other route will run to Versailles, going from a heliport at Issy-les-Moulineaux in Paris' western suburbs to the Saint-Cyr-l'École airfield.
RTL reported that the machines will fly in dedicated 'air corridors' at heights of 200 to 300 metres.
The test flights had just a single passenger, but the plan is for each 'taxi' to carry five or six passengers, plus the pilot.
How much will they cost?
According to Économie Matin, the price of one journey will likely be around €110, with several thousand tickets to be sold during the Games. However, others news sources, like RTL, have reported that the price of one journey for one person could be as much as €200.
Adam Goldstein, the CEO of the US firm Archer, also a producer of eVTOLs told AFP that the electric motors help to drastically reduce maintenance costs while allowing for more flights per day, meaning the price for consumers is lower.
A taxi from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport into the city is a set fare of €55 (for the right bank) or €62 (for the left bank), while a single RER ticket from the airport into the city is €11.45.
When will they will be available?
The company Volocopter has partnered with the Paris region's airport group, ADP, as well as the capital region's Metro and bus operator RATP and the Ile-de-France regional authority, to develop the flying taxis prior to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games - which begin in July 2024.
ADP chief executive Edward Arkwright told AFP that so far, more than 20 test flights flights spanning 200 kilometres have taken place.
Nevertheless - the machines have not yet been authorised by regulatory authorities. Volocopter will need the approval of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for permission to fly by spring 2024, which is the goal.
They will also need permission to fly over Paris, since the city is generally a no-fly zone, with even domestic drones heavily restricted.
But in November 2022, the Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke, a former senior Airbus executive, said that they were "on track to fly to Paris in the summer of 2024".
READ MORE: The alternatives to taking taxis when visiting Paris
Are there any concerns or criticisms?
There has been criticism that the flying machines will not help to address public transport needs during the Olympic Games, since even if licensed they will only be able to transport a small number of passengers.
Others have concerns about the environmental impact and ethics of deploying flying taxis as a new mode of transport. Sociologist Bruno Marzloff told Ouest France that the devices are "an idea that belongs to a bygone era".
READ MORE: ANALYSIS: How accessible is Paris for people with disabilities?
"Just because the flying cab is technically feasible doesn't mean we shouldn't ask ourselves whether it's appropriate in the face of societal and climatic challenges," he told the regional newspaper.
Expert in transport economics and engineer Olivier Klein echoed these thoughts to Ouest France, saying that "an aerial solution inevitably consumes energy, but from my point of view, we're facing climate issues that need to be resolved in the years to come. Perhaps that's enough to keep our feet on the ground".
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The idea of 'flying taxis' has been talked about for years, but after displaying their machines at this year's Paris Air Show, operators say they are ready to launch and will be able to offer flying taxis in Paris during the Olympics next year.
So what is the taxi, exactly?
When thinking of 'flying taxis' one might conjure up ideas of a hovering taxi car, passing other vehicles on the road but never touching the ground.
However the device displayed by the Volocopter group - known as an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) - is more of a small helicopter or even a large drone. It is four times quieter than a typical helicopter, according to Volocopter, and powered by an electric battery.
Un vol de démonstration du taxi volant de la société Volocopter, qui sera utilisé lors des Jeux olympiques de 2024, a eu lieu au Salon international de l'aéronautique et de l'espace (SIAE) au Bourget pic.twitter.com/kDPAYcVOrI
— Bops (@BeaupinEric) June 19, 2023
So where will the flying taxis go?
For the Olympics, the idea is really more of a shuttle service linking the city and its airports.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Le Bourget Airport (which handles private jets) will be linked to to the city, with a 'vertiport' set to be installed along the Seine river in southeast Paris, near Quai Austerlitz. The ride between the CDG airport and the city will take around 10 minutes, in comparison to approximately 45 minutes to an hour that is customary when driving or taking the RER train.
Île-de-France president Valerie Pécresse told AFP that the region will spend €1 million to build the barge.
According to Ouest France, the other route will run to Versailles, going from a heliport at Issy-les-Moulineaux in Paris' western suburbs to the Saint-Cyr-l'École airfield.
RTL reported that the machines will fly in dedicated 'air corridors' at heights of 200 to 300 metres.
The test flights had just a single passenger, but the plan is for each 'taxi' to carry five or six passengers, plus the pilot.
How much will they cost?
According to Économie Matin, the price of one journey will likely be around €110, with several thousand tickets to be sold during the Games. However, others news sources, like RTL, have reported that the price of one journey for one person could be as much as €200.
Adam Goldstein, the CEO of the US firm Archer, also a producer of eVTOLs told AFP that the electric motors help to drastically reduce maintenance costs while allowing for more flights per day, meaning the price for consumers is lower.
A taxi from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport into the city is a set fare of €55 (for the right bank) or €62 (for the left bank), while a single RER ticket from the airport into the city is €11.45.
When will they will be available?
The company Volocopter has partnered with the Paris region's airport group, ADP, as well as the capital region's Metro and bus operator RATP and the Ile-de-France regional authority, to develop the flying taxis prior to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games - which begin in July 2024.
ADP chief executive Edward Arkwright told AFP that so far, more than 20 test flights flights spanning 200 kilometres have taken place.
Nevertheless - the machines have not yet been authorised by regulatory authorities. Volocopter will need the approval of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for permission to fly by spring 2024, which is the goal.
They will also need permission to fly over Paris, since the city is generally a no-fly zone, with even domestic drones heavily restricted.
But in November 2022, the Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke, a former senior Airbus executive, said that they were "on track to fly to Paris in the summer of 2024".
READ MORE: The alternatives to taking taxis when visiting Paris
Are there any concerns or criticisms?
There has been criticism that the flying machines will not help to address public transport needs during the Olympic Games, since even if licensed they will only be able to transport a small number of passengers.
Others have concerns about the environmental impact and ethics of deploying flying taxis as a new mode of transport. Sociologist Bruno Marzloff told Ouest France that the devices are "an idea that belongs to a bygone era".
READ MORE: ANALYSIS: How accessible is Paris for people with disabilities?
"Just because the flying cab is technically feasible doesn't mean we shouldn't ask ourselves whether it's appropriate in the face of societal and climatic challenges," he told the regional newspaper.
Expert in transport economics and engineer Olivier Klein echoed these thoughts to Ouest France, saying that "an aerial solution inevitably consumes energy, but from my point of view, we're facing climate issues that need to be resolved in the years to come. Perhaps that's enough to keep our feet on the ground".
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