On December 18, the Council of State pushed the flying taxi project in Paris even further. The highest administrative court annulled an interministerial decree authorizing the creation of a takeoff and landing platform for machines.
The structure was built on the Quai d’Austerlitz by Aéroports de Paris and the German manufacturer Volocopter, who are developing this air transport project. The platform was dismantled before the Olympic Games to allow the flow of maritime traffic on the Seine, and will therefore not be reinstalled.
In a press release published on December 16, the French Union Against Aircraft Nuisance (UFCNA), one of the applicants, welcomed the decision of the Council of State.
An attempt at “forceful passage” foiled
“This decision highlights a strategy aimed at circumventing environmental issues. The authorization of flying taxis falls under general aviation, a sector obeying only its safety rules and devoid of any environmental regulations, except for the skies of Paris,” commented this union, which brings together around fifty associations.
The UFCNA also denounced the promoters’ attempt to “force through”, recalling that “the flying taxis not having received certification to provide commercial flights, the project was reclassified along the way as a promotional operation.” towards a targeted clientele, as part of a so-called experiment, with a limitation on the number of flights, presented as an effort to limit nuisance. »
According to the Union, “this decision marks an important step, recognizing that the environmental and health nuisances generated by general aviation can justify prior investigation”.
