Both Air-Dynamic SA and ASL Group signed agreements with Lilium, according to announcements made this week. The eVTOL developer also released its Q1 Shareholder Letter for this year. (Photos: Lilium)
This week, Lilium and Air-Dynamic SA signed an agreement that includes pre-delivery payments for up to five of Lilium’s eVTOL aircraft. Air-Dynamic is a private jet and helicopter company based in Switzerland. The company plans to handle operations of the aircraft for customers in Switzerland and Italy.
“The first project’s goal is to connect Lugano directly with Milan City Center and in parallel to establish a good connection in Italy for the most touristic destinations such as Lake Como and Capri,” remarked Air-Dynamic CEO Raffaella Meledandri.
Lilium also announced an agreement this week with ASL Group, a European business jet operator, for six of Lilium’s Pioneer Edition Jets. This follows an MoU between ASL Group and Lilium signed in July 2022. The companies agreed to establish a network of landing sites across Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Western Germany as part of the MoU.
“With the highest population density in Europe, Benelux represents a perfect use case for the Lilium Jet, with its expected high aerodynamic performance and low noise profile,” stated Klaus Roewe, Lilium’s CEO, regarding the new agreement with ASL Group.
Roewe also shared some comments in Lilium’s Q1 2023 Shareholder Letter that was released this week: “Our latest capital raise will enable us to continue to advance at speed towards our key milestones – start of final assembly of the type-conforming aircraft this year, first manned flight in the second half of 2024 and type certification in late 2025.
“We look forward to continuing to keep you updated on these and our progress on all fronts in the coming months including securing the next stage of financing, coming to agreement with EASA on Full Certification Plan and signing further binding customer agreements.”
In its Q1 letter to shareholders, Lilium reports progress on its three main commitments: raising the capital necessary for the first crewed flight and certification of its type-conforming aircraft; meeting the development milestones needed in order to achieve certification in 2025; and executing on a two-phase go-to-market strategy, launching with sales to private, charter, and business aviation customers. (Lilium)
Some of the eVTOL developer’s recent achievements were highlighted in the letter to shareholders:
- Secured funding for up to $250 million, extending cash runway towards the first manned flight of its type-conforming aircraft
- Progressed type certification, with 78% of the Lilium Jet’s Means of Compliance (MoCs) agreed, driven by EASA’s acceptance of MoCs in areas of propulsion and energy system
- Continued type-conforming aircraft development at full pace with wind tunnel testing underway of the complete aircraft model with powered engines and actuators, in addition to successful testing of battery packs, and fan tests launched on the full-size engine
- Secured intellectual property rights in key eVTOL technologies, with new patents granted in battery management, electrical power distribution, and actuation of ducted fans
- Executed on its go-to-market-strategy with commercial agreements including pre-delivery payments with Air-Dynamic and ASL Group; potential order pipeline grew to 645 aircraft
- Contracted a state-of-the-art Lilium Jet cockpit simulator to support certification and pilot training
- Q1 adjusted cash spend on target (€62 million), while Lilium continues to meet timelines on its aircraft development plan
In March, Lilium achieved another significant milestone. The Phoenix 2 tech demonstrator aircraft hit its targeted maximum speed—about 155 mph—during a flight test.