Lilium is seeing growing demand for private aviation use of its eVTOL aircraft, with European charter operator GlobeAir this week agreeing to buy 12 of the 6-passenger model that is expected to complete EASA type certification in 2025. Austria-based GlobeAir plans to offer flights in the all-electric aircraft for customers in markets such as the French Riviera and Italy, providing "first and last mile" connections as well as point-to-point services.
The GlobeAir announcement on September 29 follows recent agreements with Helity Copter Airlines, ASL Group, and AAP Aviation to build eVTOL networks in southern Spain, Benelux, and Norway. In addition, Lilium counts helicopter operator Bristow and fractional ownership provider NetJets among its customer base.
Germany-based Lilium is also now offering a "limited edition" version of the Lilium Jet, featuring a four-seat executive cabin. The company said it has started taking deposits for this model.
GlobeAir CEO Bernhard Fragner said Lilium is “changing how we think about aviation and revolutionizing how people travel. Technological breakthroughs, a forward-thinking mindset, and a drive to deliver quality time that fits customer expectations have propelled Lilium to the forefront of next-generation air travel.’’
The company operates a fleet of 21 light private jets, specialising in providing services to smaller airports that cannot be accessed by larger aircraft. It has 160 employees, including 80 pilots.
The Lilium Jet is powered by 30 fully electric ducted fan engines mounted on the aircraft’s wing and canard. Designed to fly as far as 190 miles and at speeds up to 170 mph, the aircraft has no tail, rudder, or propellers.
While Lilium has notched more than 100 test flights in a sub-scale technology demonstrator since 2019, plans call for beginning to build a production-conforming model in 2023 with EASA type certification following in 2025. Earlier this week, the company announced that on September 23 it achieved the first full transition from vertical to cruise operations during flight testing in Spain.
The GlobeAir announcement follows recent agreements with Helity Copter Airlines, ASL Group, and AAP Aviation to build eVTOL networks in southern Spain, Benelux, and Norway. In addition, Lilium counts helicopter operator Bristow and fractional ownership provider NetJets among its customer base.
