NetJets has signed a purchase agreement for up to 150 six-passenger eVTOL jets being developed by Lilium.
German electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) developer Lilium disclosed a purchase agreement with fractional aircraft operator NetJets during its fiscal year 2021 webcast held earlier this week.
The memorandum of understanding includes purchase rights for up to 150 of the six-passenger eVTOL model being developed by Lilium. The agreement includes related “aftermarket services” as well. In a letter to shareholders announcing their 2021 results, Lilium also notes that they have received strong interest in their electric-jet propulsion technology.
“We therefore will extend our commercial offering to private individuals and business professionals through either direct sales or through a fractional ownership model that we expect to implement through an anticipated collaboration with NetJets,” Lilium said in the letter. “We believe the private and business professional segments will be highly attractive markets and will drive early adoption of eVTOL aircraft.”
NetJets is the latest major business aviation player to sign an agreement with Lilium. Last year, Luxaviation Group signed a partnership agreement with Lilium to become responsible for airline operations of Lilum’s 7-Seater Jet in Europe, including securing approvals and managing pilots.
Lilium hopes to achieve certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in 2024 through the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA).