Volocopter’s air taxi performs a test flight at the Helsinki Airport

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German startup Volocopter says it’s the first company to fly an electric vertical takeoff and landing (or eVTOL) aircraft at an international airport while integrated into the air traffic management system. The company released a video of its 18-rotor aircraft (or octadecacopter) flying around the Helsinki Airport on Friday, which shows test pilot Damian Hischier zooming around the runways a few dozen feet in the air.

It’s not Volocopter’s first test flight by any means. But if the company (or its many competitors) has any hope of proving out a use case for short-hop eVTOL flights, coexisting with airports will be crucial.

Volocopter’s been kicking around since the first days of The Verge’s existence in 2011, and in that time, it has...

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source https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/30/20840840/volocopter-air-taxi-test-flight-startup-helsinki-airport

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