The citizens of Paris, and visitors to the Olympic Games (26 Jul – 11 Aug), may be among the first to see how close we all are to the new world of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) now that the French Government has given the go ahead to a floating vertiport on the River Seine near the Austerlitz railway station.

If the plan, which has been the subject of much heated debate over the last year, is not successfully challenged, it’ll mean Parisians will see strange new eVTOL aircraft in the sky overhead this summer.

The order, made on 4th July by the Deputy to the Minister for Transport and announced three days ago, says:

1. The creation, by Aéroports de Paris, of a heliport located on the territory of the city of Paris (quai d’Austerlitz, 13th arrondissement) is authorized.
2. This heliport is to be called “Vertiport de Paris-Austerlitz”.
3. This heliport is open to public air traffic. It is reserved for the use of VTOLs.
4. Only the use of the heliport by VTOLs of the “Volocity” type from the manufacturer Volocopter is authorized.
5. Considering that it is important to limit the operating conditions of this platform taking into account its experimental nature, the heliport is subject to the following restrictions:
   • the heliport may be operated until December 31, 2024 at the latest
   • limitation of the operating hours of the heliport between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
   • limitation of the number of flights to 2 movements per hour and to 900 flights over the entire experiment.

The 2-seater Volocity has 18 electric-powered rotors on a circular frame above the fuselage. Although they are licensed to fly, they have not yet been certified by the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), so they can only offer free demonstration flights during the Games.

The significance of the Vertiport de Paris-Austerlitz is that four vertiports have already been established around Paris, including one at Charles de Gaulle airport, but this central location will open up urban routes within the city itself.

Why has this been challenged?

It’s all politics. President Macron had always been keen to show off this new technology during the Olympic Games, perhaps with Volocopters whisking competitors and VIPs around the city, but his political opponents, notably an alliance of Green politicians and activists, have been determined to foil his ambitions.

It’s a little odd because eVTOLS like this are promoted as being environmentally friendly, reducing carbon emissions and reducing noise levels (being massively quieter than helicopters),but the Greens argue they are not necessary and are only a play thing for the rich.