Germany-based electric airline Lilium said it has signed a binding sales agreement for up to 100 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with Saudi Arabia Group, which operates Saudi Arabian airlines It is the largest airline in Saudi Arabia and is wholly owned by the company.
The company said the agreement is for a “firm order” for 50 Lilium jets, with an option to purchase up to 50 more. The deal follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Lilium and Saudi Arabian Airlines in 2022 to explore battery-powered multi-rotor aircraft as a solution to the region’s transportation challenges.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed but could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Lilium said it will sell its Pioneer aircraft for $10 million to individual buyers in the United States who want to trade in polluting private jets for greener ones.
Lilium is one of a handful of companies looking to replace noisy, polluting helicopters and regional aircraft with all-electric multi-rotor aircraft designed for short flights between nearby airports or rapid flights from densely populated city centers to local airports. Designed for travel.
The Lilium jet features an egg-shaped turret with two wings, one in front and one in the rear. A total of 30 electric motors are built into the wings, which can tilt downward for vertical takeoff and hover, and then be flush with the wings for forward flight.
Lilium is not the first eVTOL company to see a potential market in the Middle East. China’s EHang has been testing its own vehicles in Mecca for a possible future air taxi service. Two others, Eve and Joby, have signed similar agreements with Saudi Arabian Airlines for future sales.
