Features eVTOL
Volocopter completes first flight in New York City

Volocopter completed its first flight test at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York City 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, New York City and Singapore. Volocopter notes the 2X electric air taxi’s multicopter design is well suited for urban missions, producing zero emissions in flight and little noise pollution in a busy metropolis like New York City.

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 residents’ quality of life. The city noted it aims to reshape heliports such as the Downtown Manhattan Heliport to accommodate eVTOL aircraft.

“A New York City flight has always been on Volocopter’s mind when designing an eVTOL that could be safe and quiet enough to fly its busy skies,” said Christian Bauer, Managing Director of Volocopter. “Our flight in NYC proves that we have everything required to make this emerging technology flourish in this city.”

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.

Volocopter has 500 employees in offices in Bruchsal, Munich, and Singapore.