​During the Summer Olympics in Paris, as well as in the second half of the year, there are big plans to test flying taxis in Paris on three routes, one of which also enters the city. However, environmental protection authorities draw attention to the fact that these small two-seater planes are too noisy and have very high consumption. A test flight can cost 110 euros per passenger.

For some time now, closed tests have been taking place in Paris, in the so-called “vertiport”, where Groupe ADP and partner Volocopter are testing the VoloCity flying taxis, which can carry two people (a pilot and a passenger).

These small planes will fly past Paris and even into the city. Three routes are planned for the period from June to December 2024, with a total of more than 2,000 test flights.

Routes reach the airports (Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Bourget) as well as the heliport in Issy-les-Moulineaux. One of the routes also goes into the city, and this has generated the most interest and the most doubt.

For this route, ADP plans to install a barge on the Seine, not far from Austerlitz station, and taxis should land and take off from there. To avoid approaching tall buildings, the flight path will pass over the Seine.

The French environmental authority says these machines are noisy, producing 65 decibels, far more than originally promised. ADP Group responded by explaining that the noise would be barely perceptible from the ground in an already noisy urban environment, given that these taxis would fly between 120 and 300 meters above the ground. For comparison, helicopters fly at an altitude of 300 to 1500 m.

The authorities also say that the consumption of these air taxis is high, much higher than internal combustion vehicles or electric cars. The energy consumption of these devices will be 2-3 times higher than that of internal combustion cars, and more than ten times higher than that of electric cars.

There are still a number of debates and approvals to go before flights can take place in the second half of 2024, and it will be known in the spring whether Volocopters can fly the three proposed routes.

It is planned that in 2027, a new model of aerotaxi with four seats will be able to make regular flights.

Sources: Le Monde, France 3, EuroNews France