Lilium now plans to introduce its Lilium Jet eVTOL aircraft into the Chinese market. During the Paris Airshow on Monday, the German start-up announced its first purchase agreement with a Chinese operator, as well as plans to open a regional headquarters in China.
Chinese business aircraft operator and helicopter service provider Shenzhen East General Aviation (Heli-Eastern) has agreed to purchase 100 Lilium Jet eVTOL aircraft, which it intends to operate throughout China’s heavily populated Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
“With Lilium’s premium cabin design and innovative electric jet technology, our customers can travel throughout the Greater Bay Area and beyond quickly and sustainably,” said Heli-Eastern chairman Zhao Qi.
As part of the agreement, Heli-Eastern and Lilium will also explore a possible future partnership on ground infrastructure. The two companies might work together to identify potential locations and partners for vertiports within the region.
Lilium’s new Asia-Pacific headquarters—its first regional headquarters outside of Germany—will be located in the Bao’an district of Shenzhen in China’s Guangdong province, Lilium announced on Monday. The Bao’an district municipality and Lilium have signed a memorandum of understanding for the joint development of eVTOL services using the Lilium Jet in the Asia-Pacific region, with an initial focus on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
According to Lilium CEO Klaus Roewe, China could potentially account for up to 25 percent of the global eVTOL air taxi market. “We see significant potential for Lilium’s eVTOL network in the Greater Bay Area, both to reach this important premium market, as well as to offer the sustainable, time-saving benefits of the Lilium Jet to as many people as possible,” Roewe said.
Following the new order from Heli-Eastern, Lilium says it now has collected an order backlog of 745 Lilium Jet eVTOL aircraft from customers in Europe, the U.S., South America, and the Middle East.