Volocopter Dazzles with First Flight in New York City

November 13, 2023|

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Bruchsal, 13 November 2023: Volocopter, the pioneer of urban air mobility (UAM), completed its first flight test at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (DMH) in New York City (NYC) with its crewed Volocopter 2X. Hosted by the Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), the Volocopter 2X participated in the world’s largest and first public event  showcasing multiple electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in a city. Volocopter has now successfully and safely conducted flights in the heart of two of the busiest metropolitan hubs of the world, NYC and Singapore. The success of this flight is an affirmation of the company’s skillfulness to bring safe, quiet, and sustainable UAM to megacities worldwide. 

With the iconic Lower Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge in the background, the Volocopter 2X electric air taxi flew in a stable, quiet, and smooth manner, weathering East River conditions. Volocopter's multicopter design is particularly suited for short- to mid-range urban missions, producing zero emissions in flight and very little noise pollution that is hardly audible in a busy metropolis like NYC. 

As part of the public showcase, the City of New York outlined a new vision for the future of the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, seeking to reduce emissions, noise pollution, and improve the quality of life for residents. It aims to reshape heliports such as DMH to accommodate eVTOL aircraft so that the city can diversify its mobility options to reduce congestion, while still meeting the transport needs of one of the busiest cities in the world. DMH is a well-known transport hub for travelers in need of an efficient ride to neighboring airports or for touristic flights to view the NYC skyline.  

In 2018, Volocopter conducted its maiden U.S. flight in Las Vegas. Since then, it has flown in Oshkosh, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Tampa, and now in NYC. Volocopter expects to receive a final certification of its commercial eVTOL aircraft, the VoloCity, from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in 2024. The company is also in the concurrent validation process with the FAA, which was submitted in 2020, and has been working with both authorities to bring urban air mobility to life.