Air cab developer: Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke wants to leave

A change is on the horizon at the management level of German flying cab developer Volocopter. The previous CEO Dirk Hoke intends to leave his post in February 2025 at his own request, the company announced. The reasons for his decision are not clear. A successor for Hoke has not yet been appointed.

Volocopter will also have a new Chairman of the Advisory Board with immediate effect in the form of former Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche. He replaces Stefan Klocke, who remains a member of the advisory board. According to the press release, Zetsche will play a "key role in supporting the strategic direction" of the company. He was at the helm of Daimler for thirteen years until 2019. He was succeeded by the then Head of Development Ola Källenius.

Certification still pending

Zetsche immediately thanked Hoke on behalf of the Advisory Board for his "strong commitment" over the past two years. He had taken over Volocopter in a decisive phase and driven the company forward. Before Hoke took over as CEO of Volocopter in September 2022, he was head of Airbus Defense & Space, among other things. He now wants to "devote all his energy to achieving EASA certification by the end of his term of office and thus create an essential building block for the future of Volocopter", the press release continues.

Volocopter has set itself the goal of becoming the first company to operate air cabs commercially, which requires certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This year, Volocopter became a talking point in connection with the Olympic Games in Paris. The originally planned demonstration flights of a multicopter over the French capital were canceled. Hoke had explained that a US supplier had not delivered the engines on time.

(anw)