“The image of the taxi flying over Paris, the Seine and the ring road during the Olympic Games is the image of a France that is innovating,” said Augustin de Romanet, general director of Aéroports de Paris (ADP) of BFM Business.
Despite a significant number of protests and several setbacks, ADP remains determined to experiment with these vertical take-off aircraft on three lines during the Olympic Games: the Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle/Bourget airport, the Issy- les-Moulineaux around Saint-Cyr -l’Ecole, as well as a “vertiport” located near the Quai d’Austerlitz.
“Binary”
However, for the moment, this experiment is suspended until the device is certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). “These are extremely safe machines. The level of safety of these machines is higher than that of Airbus,” defended Augustin de Romanet.
“The approval will be binary. In the best case, they will be approved to carry commercial passengers. If this is not the case, it is almost certain that we will have approval to carry non-revenue generating passengers, a pilot is no longer a passenger but not “We will have the right to a commercial service.”
Rain of negative reviews
Especially since the EASA will not be the only one to convince. The Ministry of Transport must also give its approval. The last few months have been characterized by an increase in unfavorable signals, the last of which was an unfavorable opinion issued on February 2 following a public inquiry carried out in November and December 2023. The investigating commissioner stressed that this experiment is of no relevance for the general interest and will not contribute to alleviating transport traffic in Île-de-France.
Not to forget, the negative opinion of Parisian elected officials (non-binding) on the Austerlitz “vertiport” – some denounce an “absurd” project and an “ecological aberration” -, issued after the publication of an environmental assessment last September.
“These vertical takeoff machines will see the light of day by the thousands, or even tens of thousands, in the 2030s,” said the ADP CEO. And he added: “Former Republican primary candidate Ron De Santis had expressed jealousy that France was the first country to experience this. We need to know if France wants to be an innovative country or not.”
Source: BFM TV
