Naturally, the athletes want to create history, but Volocopter, a startup in aviation, also wants to do just that.

If all goes according to plan, VoloCity, a two-seater electric aircraft, will begin passenger service around Paris. Utilizing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft, it will be the first service of its kind in Europe.

Many businesses worldwide have been working on producing EVTOL aircraft, which are expected to be cheaper, quieter, and emission-free aircraft that can land directly in the middle of cities.

In the following months, Volocopter hopes to receive approval from the European Aerospace Agency (EASA) to begin passenger operations with its VoloCity device, allowing it to be prepared for the Olympics.

"Everything is prepared and scheduled for mid-2019," states Christian Bauer, the chief financial officer of the German corporation.

The city's airports and heliport will be connected to the heart of Paris via three routes. Also, Volocopter will provide tourist round-trips.

The organization of aircraft paths and landing locations, or "vertiports," has taken a lot of work and is challenging in a densely populated metropolis like Paris. Volocopter has accomplished much in its twelve years of operation when one considers the technical difficulty of creating and obtaining certification for a new aircraft.

Some contend that Volocopter and its competitors still face their most significant obstacles. They will have to demonstrate in the upcoming years that there is a demand for their aircraft. Batteries continue to be the main issue. The cost and range benefits of EVTOL aircraft over autos, trains, and helicopters are limited because they are still heavy and costly.

The VoloCity's 22-mile range is sufficient for quick city flights, although it is shorter than a helicopter's.

"What is hindering us right now is the battery technology, which all the peers are right now working on," Mr. Bauer says, acknowledging the difficulty.

According to him, more affordable and potent batteries will become available, enabling Volocopter to construct a larger aircraft capable of providing services at a reduced cost.

"Our initial pricing will be more premium, comparable to that of the helicopter segment. And once we have a four- or five-seater vehicle in situ, we will progressively go down with a large step," he continues.

Another German company, Lilium, has already created a more substantial EVTOL. With a seating capacity of six, it is a sophisticated-looking vehicle.

Lilium employs thirty electric jets that can be angled simultaneously to alternate between forward flight and vertical lift in place of rotors, as Volocopters do. It anticipates receiving EASA certification in 2025.

According to Lilium, a sizable market for aircraft like this could provide services in areas with inadequate rail connections or connections surrounding crowded cities.

If you could get a cheap rail ticket there, we would want to avoid competing with that. When there is no infrastructure or building infrastructure is challenging, we step in," explains Klaus Roewe, CEO of Lilium.

He cites an agreement in June wherein Shenzhen Eastern General Aviation (Heli-Eastern) intends to purchase one hundred Lilium aircraft.

Heli-Eastern operates air connections throughout China's Greater Bay area, encompassing Shenzhen, Macao, and Hong Kong. According to Mr Roewe, getting around might be a "nightmare" because of the mountains, numerous islands, and peninsulas.

Like Volocopter, Lilium relies on advancements in battery technology to maintain competitiveness in its aircraft.

Although Mr Roewe acknowledges that there is still "uncertainty" surrounding battery costs, he thinks both capacity and price will increase. He believes that the EVTOL sector can benefit from advancements in automotive batteries.

"Our production process is the same as any automotive battery, so there is no reason why our batteries should cost more," Mr Roewe asserts.

Despite this hope, some analysts have doubts regarding the battery-related aspirations of the EVTOL sector.

"They [EVTOL aircraft] actually have a very special battery set, that's a very low and very expensive production, and will not reach high volumes any time soon," says Bjorn Fehrm, a former Swedish Air Force combat jet pilot with a background in aeronautical engineering. He currently works with Leeham, an aeronautical consultant.

Mr. Fehrm notes that EVTOL planes must drain electricity from the battery far faster during takeoff and flight than a car.

The airplane would also need to be charged quickly to be economical. According to Mr. Fehrm, the rapid charge and discharge significantly strain the battery, necessitating a more sophisticated and costly technology than a car.

Though he does envision improvement in the future, by the end of this decade, batteries will likely only be "twice" as good.

The current shortage of battery capacity, according to Mr Fehrm, restricts the conditions under which EVTOL aircraft can operate. A helicopter, for instance, probably has enough range to fly around a storm; an EVTOL aircraft, on the other hand, would not be able to accomplish that due to its significantly shorter range.

In addition to advancing battery technology, the new EVTOL companies will need to establish facilities to increase the quantity at which their aircraft are produced.

According to Mr Fehrm, that will probably be costly because EVTOL aircraft employ the same procedures as the aviation industry, which are inappropriate for high-volume, low-cost manufacture.

"A challenging process but it is accelerating" is how aviation consultant and expert on electric aircraft Darrell Swanson describes the rollout of battery technology.

He also points out that the new businesses will need to grow significantly larger: "The industry needs to grow in order to prevent adopting a model that is exclusive to wealthy or business travelers."

In Bruchsal, close to Stuttgart in southern Germany, Volocopter inaugurated its first assembly line in April, with the capacity to produce 50 aircraft annually. By the end of the decade, the company aims to increase production to 5,000–7,000 aircraft annually.

Mr Bauer agrees that much work and money must be done.

We are nearing the end of the first marathon to certify that vehicle. The next marathon then starts to reach profitability."