The insolvent flying taxi manufacturer Volocopter from Bruchsal has laid off all of its employees. This was confirmed by a company spokeswoman after an internal staff meeting. Around 450 employees are affected. The company's financial difficulties have recently worsened, while negotiations with potential investors have not yet been concluded.
The Karlsruhe District Court opened insolvency proceedings on Saturday. Originally, insolvency administrator Tobias Wahl had announced that he would work out a restructuring plan by the end of February and implement it with potential investors. However, it remains unclear whether there is a future for Volocopter. The continuation of business operations depends crucially on a successful search for investors.
A key problem for the company remains the lack of type approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which would be required for regular passenger operations. Volocopter had set itself the goal of establishing a new form of mobility in urban centers with its vertical take-off and landing, fully electric aircraft. However, economic pressure and regulatory hurdles pose major challenges for the company.
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