Air taxi developer Volocopter unveils its UAM production facility

German air taxi developer and urban air mobility (UAM) company Volocopter has opened its first complete aircraft production facility, which it plans to kick into full operation later this month.

The Bruchsal-based company announced the inauguration of its production site today after what it said was a ribbon-cutting ceremony with German officials and investors on Tuesday. Volocopter said the milestone marked an 18-month effort to build its air taxi manufacturing capacities ahead of what it expects to be initial UAM services in 2024.

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A company communique said the facility features a hangar that will house its final assembly line – part of a wider complex including an airfield for conducting both development flight tests and quality control operations. 

Volocopter stated the unit is the first air taxi production installation authorized by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the regulator overseeing UAM activity in the 27-nation bloc.

Under that approval, Volocopter plans to assemble over 50 of its VoloCity air taxis each year, ahead of initial UAM demonstration services during the Paris Summer Olympics next year.

Volocopter has been working on building its air taxi production facility since earning the EASA authorization in 2021. That approval covers manufacturing of VoloCity’s carbon fiber parts, all aspects of the electric propulsion unit, final assembly with decking of the propulsion system and fuselage, and extensive end-of-line UAM flight tests.

“Right here is where the aircraft that will change how humanity moves about cities will take off and make its way across the world,” said Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke when he unveiled the facility about halfway between Stuttgart and Frankfurt. “This region is known for transforming mobility – the bicycle, the car, and soon Volocopter, too. Electric air taxis and Volocopter in particular (represent) technology made in Germany that will make the world a more sustainable place.”

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The VoloCity will operate as a two-seat air taxi on relatively short urban routes. Following initial flights at the Paris Summer Games next year, it is inspected to be  introduced in other large global cities, including Singapore and Rome.