Lilium sees strong interest from the Asia-Pacific region for its electrical vertical take-off and landing Lilium Jet having added to its customer commitments in the region with a tentative 10-unit deal from Manila-based PhilJets.
Signed at the Singapore air show on 20 February, the memorandum of understanding between the pair will also see them collaborate in the future to establish an eVTOL network in the Philippines and across other Southeast Asian countries.
Sebastien Borel, chief commercial officer, Lilium, says the six-passenger jet is ideally suited to overcome the “water, terrain and congestion” that hamper travel in the Philippines and the wider region.
Although initially pitched at the premium market, Borel is confident the Lilium Jet will eventually be used for scheduled services as well. “We are very serious about the Asia-Pacific,” he says.
To support the roll-out of the Lilium Jet, due to enter service in 2026, Munich, Germany-headquartered Lilium has disclosed a partnership with electric vehicle charging specialist Star Charge to develop an appropriate system for the aircraft. The deal includes an agreement for an initial 120 chargers.
Final assembly of the first two production-conforming Lilium Jets is now under way in Germany. The initial example, MSN1, will be used for ground testing while MSN2 will be the first aircraft to fly, a milestone expected by year-end.
In all, six aircraft will be used for the flight-test programme, supported by ground-test assets including MSN1 and an ‘iron bird’ test rig, which should be complete by the end of the third quarter.
