First flying taxi manufacturing facility built, with second under construction, company on track to offer full passenger operations in several global locations by 2025
Lilium, the Munich-based startup currently developing an air taxi service, has celebrated the completion of its first phase of flight testing.
The on-demand air mobility Lilium Jet has reached the milestone less than six months since starting its flight test campaign. The Jet, the world’s first five-seater, all-electric, vertical take-off and landing jet, was revealed to the world in May 2019 and since then has been put through its paces at an airfield in southern Germany. The emissions-free aircraft, which will be able to complete journeys of up to 300 km in one hour on a single charge, has been flown at speeds exceeding 100 km/h, in increasingly complex manoeuvres.
Aircraft can transition from vertical to level flight
New footage released reveals, for the first time, the aircraft transitioning from vertical flight to level flight. This signature manoeuvre, first completed just weeks after the aircraft’s maiden flight, is one of aerospace’s greatest challenges and is what gives the Lilium Jet its range advantage, with two sets of wings contributing to higher levels of efficiency than aircraft lifted solely by rotors.
The Lilium Jet has a range of 300km, making it capable of completing much longer journeys than the vast majority of competitors. This will allow the Jet to connect entire regions in addition to making short trips across a single city.The release of the flight test footage came as the company also celebrated the completion of its first dedicated manufacturing facility, which will prepare the company for serial production of the Lilium Jet.
Production facility nearing completion
The first manufacturing facility, a 3,000 sq m space located at the company’s headquarters, will soon be complemented by a second, larger facility which is already under construction at the same site. The two facilities will support Lilium’s aim of producing hundreds of aircraft a year by the time commercial services begin in 2025.
Lilium also announced an addition to its Senior Management Team, with Airbus veteran Yves Yemsi joining as Chief Program Officer, having worked as Head of Program Quality for the Airbus A350 aircraft.
Commenting on the milestones, Daniel Wiegand, co-founder and CEO, said: “It’s been thrilling to watch the Lilium Jet progress so rapidly and to see our first flying taxi manufacturing facility. We are taking tangible and concrete steps towards making our vision of regional air mobility a reality and we’re doing it on time.
“We believe that regional air mobility has the potential to be a remarkable force for good in society and we can’t wait for what comes next.”
