Berlin (dpa) – German air taxi developer Volocopter has pushed back its plans to launch passenger services to 2026 following its acquisition by Chinese group Wanfeng, the company recently told dpa.
Volocopter, which has sought to build an all-electric passenger aircraft that can take off and land vertically, had originally aimed to begin operations last year during the Paris Olympics. However, it was unable to obtain the necessary safety certification.
The start-up is now targeting certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in 2026 due to restructuring and ongoing insolvency proceedings, a company spokesman said.
Founded in 2011, the company filed for insolvency in December last year due to financial difficulties. In March, China’s Wanfeng took over the company. At the time, the certification was still expected this year.
Following the acquisition, Volocopter now operates as a sister company of Austrian-based Diamond Aircraft Industries, also owned by Wanfeng.
“As part of the acquisition and associated restructuring measures, 160 employees of Volocopter GmbH were retained,” the spokesman said. “This has preserved key expertise and ensured the operational viability of Volocopter Technologies GmbH.”
The company is currently focused on restructuring and stabilizing operations.
Source: dpa.com
