First flight in France of an e-VTOL
on the experimental site of the Pontoise airfield
This is a premiere in France! On 21 March 2022, the first piloted flight tests of Volocopter's e-VTOL (Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) were inaugurated on the experimental zone dedicated to new aerial mobility at the Pontoise Cormeilles-en-Vexin airfield. This unique location is the first in Europe with the capacity to test the various new aerial mobility projects in a life-size version. Back to the experiments of this flying machine, halfway between a drone and a helicopter, which anchors the carbon-free air mobility of the future in the present.
Everything was set up to make the week of March 21, 2022, one to remember in the annals of air transport. The e-VTOL, piloted by a Volocopter test pilot, flew in the sky of the Pontoise Cormeilles-en-Vexin airfield.
Groupe ADP's teams carried out a complete programme based on several tests, in collaboration with Groupe RATP, ONERA, BruitParif, the DGAC (The French Civil Aviation Authority) and with the support of the Ile-de-France Region.
The goals were to measure and model the acoustic and vibratory impact of e-VTOLs and to work on the integration of this new mobility in the airspace. Up to 6 flights per day were carried out over 4 days.
In the future, what are the possibilities for this new mobility?
Beyond the development of the electric flying taxi sector, with pre-commercial flights planned for 2024, this technology will undoubtedly be used first and foremost for medical needs, emergency transport or logistics, with the advantage of making less noise and being less polluting than conventional flights.
We believe that urban air mobility, i.e. low-level mobility is a solution for the decarbonisation of our economy
Augustin de Romanet
Chairman & CEO of Groupe ADP
Groupe ADP is preparing the future of Advanced Air Mobility
Groupe ADP has positioned itself as an accelerator and a key player in this ambitious project, thanks to its expertise in the fields of engineering, innovation and airport platform operations, as well as its network of airports and aerodromes in Ile-de-France and worldwide.
In addition to running the experimental site in Pontoise and the management of tests, Groupe ADP is also preparing its airport infrastructures for the integration of this new air mobility service within its airports.
Pontoise will be the scene of several test flights involving drones, electric aircraft and vertical take-off vehicles.