In the aftermath of the Paris Air Show, electric aircraft pioneer AutoFlight announced it will carry out experimental piloted flights of its Prosperity I aircraft during the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Infrastructure Ready for eVTOL

AutoFlight has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Groupe ADP, previously known as Aeroports de Paris. The group manages around 20 airports worldwide, including Charles de Gaulle, Orly, and Le Bourget airports in the Paris area. Additionally, it operates Pontoise Vertiport, a passenger terminal and testing ground for future electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) operations, situated about 50 kilometers from Paris.

The MoU commits AutoFlight and Groupe ADP to carry out experimental eVTOL flights with Prosperity I from Pontoise Vertiport during the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. High-profile original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have already pledged to operate live flights in Paris next year, marking the Paris Olympics as both a showcase and proving ground for eVTOL makers.

Mark Henning, managing director of AutoFlight Europe, mentioned that the 2024 games will be a global celebration, and AutoFlight is proud to have its technology be part of it.

Delivering Under Pressure

The MoU, signed by AutoFlight CEO Tian Yu and Groupe ADP Deputy CEO Edward Arkwright, aims to spotlight “AutoFlight’s potential in scaling up sustainable urban logistics and passenger transportation under real-world conditions.” Prosperity I, exhibited at the air show, is designed for safe, quiet, affordable urban trips and regional journeys.

AutoFlight touts a “world record” range of 250 kilometers and claims the aircraft is among the few to have successfully navigated the challenging transition phase from vertical to horizontal flight “hundreds of times.” According to the OEM, the energy consumption of Prosperity I is on par with an electric car, heralding a new era of sustainable logistics and passenger transportation.

Pontoise Vertiport, Europe’s most advanced airfield for sustainable air mobility, features dedicated take-off and landing areas, a passenger terminal, a fully equipped maintenance hangar, and advanced control areas. ADP Groupe is deeply involved in eVTOL infrastructure, with plans for five additional vertiports.

The collaboration encapsulated by the MoU is part of Groupe ADP’s strategy to establish a unique Paris area air mobility ecosystem, an initiative underway since 2020 to position the company at the forefront of the push for advanced urban air mobility.