, a supplier of Advanced Air Mobility solutions, and Groupe ADP, the Paris-based airport operator, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to experiment electric take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) ‘Prosperity I’ from Pontoise Vertiport during the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
As the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games are set to serve as a global stage for innovation and progress, AutoFlight intends to showcase the exceptional capabilities of its world-record holding 250 km-range Lift & Cruise eVTOLs, while Groupe ADP reinforces its commitment to fostering innovative air mobility.
Sealed on Tuesday, June 20, by Tian Yu, CEO of AutoFlight, and Edward Arkwright, Deputy CEO of Groupe ADP, this collaboration aims to highlight AutoFlight’s potential in scaling up sustainable urban logistics and passenger transportation under real-world conditions.
L-R: Edward ARKWRIGHT, Tian YU, Lukasz GADOWSKI
Under the MoU, AutoFlight will conduct experimental piloted flights from the Pontoise Vertiport, Europe’s most advanced airfield for sustainable air mobility. Pontoise Vertiport offers a comprehensive infrastructure encompassing dedicated take-off and landing areas, a state-of-the-art passenger terminal, a fully equipped maintenance hangar, and advanced control areas.
As Groupe ADP is spearheading the development of eVTOL infrastructure in the Paris Region with five additional vertiports in the making (Paris heliport in Issy-les-Moulineaux, Paris Austerlitz, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Le Bourget, Saint-Cyr l’Ecole), Pontoise offers the optimal setting to experiment AutoFlight’s cutting-edge eVTOL technology.
AutoFlight’s Prosperity I fixed-wing aircraft represents a remarkable leap forward in terms of efficiency. It leads the pack with a world-record 250 km range and boasts energy consumption levels comparable to that of an electric car. AutoFlight is one of only a few eVTOL OEMs to have mastered the challenging ‘transition phase’ from vertical to horizontal flight, having done so hundreds of times.
The advanced engineering of the aircraft allows for significant reductions in trip length while maximizing asset utilization in urban environments, ushering in a new era of sustainable logistics and passenger transportation.
Mark Henning, Managing Director of AutoFlight Europe, said:
“Through conducting experimental piloted flights from the Pontoise Vertiport, a best-in-class infrastructure operated by Groupe ADP, we aim to showcase the immense potential of Advanced Air Mobility. Our 250km-range eVTOLs will operate in real-world conditions, highlighting their capabilities in urban environments and their invaluable contribution to sustainable logistics and mobility. The 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games will be a global celebration and we would take pride in AutoFlight’s technology being part of it. We are grateful to Groupe ADP for their collaboration. “
Groupe ADP also expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration.
“We are delighted to be working with AutoFlight to enable experimental flights of their eVTOLs during the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games” affirmed Edward Arkwright, Deputy CEO of Groupe ADP. “Pontoise Vertiport, equipped with exceptional infrastructure and facilities, serves as an optimal platform to support electric, innovative aircraft. This collaboration resonates with our commitment to delivering sustainable and efficient aircraft infrastructure as we continue to pave the way for the future of aviation.”
This collaboration is part of a broader framework of air mobility experiments, that Groupe ADP gathered since 2020 in a unique ecosystem. It also contributes to the efforts of the Paris Region to position itself at the forefront of urban mobility.
AutoFlight’s eVTOL, Prosperity I, penned by legendary designer Frank Stephenson, is showcased at Le Bourget Paris Air Show (19-25 June 2023). This aircraft will offer safe, quiet, and affordable urban and regional journeys.
Source: Press Release