According to AFP, German manufacturer Volocopter has been conducting test flights in the Paris area for many years and has been lobbying hard to get European authorities to allow it to use its "flying taxis" in time for this year's Olympics.

The company's helicopter-like "flying taxi" (also known as Volocity) is equipped with 18 electric-powered propellers on a circular frame above the fuselage and has two seats, one for the pilot and one for the passenger.

The test flights were supposed to take place during the 2024 Olympics, landing on a pontoon on the Seine near the Austerlitz train station in southeastern Paris. But for now, the “flying taxi” is being tested only in a suburban town west of Paris, Saint Cyr l’Ecole, near the Chateau de Versailles, which will host the equestrian events at the 2024 Olympics.

Proponents tout the “flying taxis” as a low-carbon form of air transport and hope larger versions could be used as ambulances or in other roles in the future. However, many city officials in Paris have criticized the projects as harmful to the environment.

Volocopter has partnered with France's ADP - which operates the airport, metro and buses - and the Paris government. ADP said certification for Volocity had been delayed by several weeks due to problems with its engines. Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke said the delay was due to the engine being produced by a US supplier not meeting the promised timeframe. He said the engine would be sent back to France next week but not in time for test flights to be held in Paris before the 2024 Olympics close on August 11.

Indeed, the "flying taxi" project's ambitions have taken a major hit in recent months after it failed to receive permission from European aviation safety authorities to carry passengers for test flights in Paris.