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Volocopter to test and demonstrate eVTOL air taxis in Singapore

Posted: 19 October 2018 | | No comments yet

The Volocopter is designed specifically for inner city missions and features an extremely stable flight manoeuvring micro turbulences around skyscrapers.

flight

Volocopter has announced that they will perform a next set of inner urban flight tests in Singapore.

The series of tests, scheduled to take place in the second half of 2019, are supported by the Ministry of Transport (MOT), Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Economic Development Board (EDB).

These flight tests are designed to validate and verify the ability of Volocopter’s eVTOL vehicles to operate in Singapore’s urban environment and will culminate in public demonstration flights.

Volocopter and CAAS are going to work together to establish the scope of the trials and ensure that the necessary requirements are met before the tests are allowed to commence. In addition to the flight tests, Volocopter will be setting up a product design and engineering team in Singapore to support its expansion plans. They are also looking for real-estate developers, mobility providers and businesses ready to join their quest in enabling air taxis in Singapore.

Volocopters are emission-free, electrically powered aircraft that take off and land vertically. They resemble a helicopter in looks, but are based on drone technology and can fly two people for almost 30km.

“There is potential for air taxis, or eVTOLs, to transform mobility and logistics in urban cities. Volocopter is at the forefront of such new and innovative technology in the aviation industry. CAAS is pleased to work together with Volocopter to study the technical capabilities and develop appropriate operational guidelines to facilitate such trials in Singapore,” said Ho Yuen Sang, Director (Aviation Industry), CAAS. 

In September 2017, Volocopter performed a public unmanned test flight in Dubai, where they partnered with the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai in their endeavour to implement air taxis into the public transportation mix.

“We are getting ready to start implementing the first fixed routes in cities,” says Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter. “Singapore is a logical partner: the city is a true pioneer in technology and city development. We are confident this is another exciting step to make air taxi services a reality.”

Volocopter holds a preliminary permit to fly from the German authorities since 2016 and is cooperating with the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) to receive a full commercial license. They fly regularly in Germany and have performed numerous public flights.