No guarantee for air taxi: Volocopter CEO surprised by rejection from Bavaria

The CEO of the Baden-based flying taxi manufacturer Volocopter is perplexed by the rejection of state support from Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Baden-Württemberg, where the company is headquartered in Bruchsal, had already delayed the decision and then communicated it poorly, said Dirk Hoke in an interview published on Monday in "Capital." That in Bavaria, the Ministry of Economic Affairs subsequently rejected a guarantee contrary to its announcement, he could not quite explain, Hoke told the business magazine.

Actually a positive visit to Aiwanger

Volocopter presented Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) with the vertically taking off and landing aircraft with a distinctive ring for the rotors on the roof. "It was a positive visit," said Hoke. Aiwanger also signaled that he would not block it if another department wanted to support it. The start-up then had good discussions with the CSU-led Ministry of Science but ultimately got the information that the Ministry of Economic Affairs had indeed vetoed it, Hoke said. "One has to be at least surprised by that." Aiwanger's decision had angered the CSU. Recently, it had been a question of a total of 100 million euros from the federal government and Bavaria, according to the information.

"Of course, in a technologically complex and capital-intensive industry like ours, one also looks towards the state," said Hoke. "We need support now, just before commercialization."

So far, Volocopter lacks a type certification for commercial passenger operations. The company had announced that it wanted to start with it at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Dispute in the Bavarian Coalition between CSU and FW

The CSU had already accused the Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) on April 24 of blocking a guarantee for the electric helicopter manufacturer Volocopter and thus the relocation of the start-up to Bavaria. CSU parliamentary group leader Klaus Holetschek said on Wednesday in Munich:

"We must not let this unique opportunity slip through our fingers in economically difficult times, otherwise we risk losing our reputation as an innovative economic location."

Volocopter, based in Bruchsal near Karlsruhe, received the green light from the Federal Aviation Office in March for series production and pilot training. The "Münchner Merkur" reported back then that Volocopter urgently needed 100 million euros, but was not getting a guarantee from the state of Baden-Württemberg. Volocopter would move to Bavaria if the Free State provided a guarantee for 50 million euros. The federal government would contribute the other 50 million euros. Aiwanger rejected this.