NetJets sets sights on the eVTOL market with Lilium
Lilium announced it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with private jet company NetJets in a letter to shareholders on February 28.
According to the letter, NetJets, a world leading private jet company, has the right to order up to 150 Lilium Jets, a seven-seat, all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that is currently in development.
Lilium told investors, “Importantly, we believe that network routes operated by NetJets will expose a much broader group of private and business travelers to sustainable air mobility through the combination of the Lilium Jet’s performance with NetJets’ world class service standards.”
The NetJets collaboration also includes the possibility for Lilium to sell its new aircraft to individuals, with NetJets support. “As part of this sales campaign, aircraft will be sold by Lilium directly to private individuals. Those aircraft may subsequently be managed on behalf of the owner by NetJets or its affiliates.”
Lilium followed the advisory to investors with a March 8 press release that also detailed a new collaboration with FlightSafety International.
FlightSafety will deliver proprietary training software that “will deliver flexible and agile learning solutions needed to support the [advanced] air mobility market,” Lilium announced. FlightSafety will specifically provide “courseware, and immersive and mixed reality training devices and crew training to support Lilium Jet operations.”
“Our focus on technology and adaptive learning will help prepare aviation professionals with the highest levels of expertise to support operation of the Lilium Jet,” said Brad Thress, president and CEO of FlightSafety International.
NetJets CEO Adam Johnson said, “We’re delighted to partner with Lilium’s experienced team to provide sustainable flight services to our customers. Lilium’s aircraft will expand our fleet options and provide our customers with a new and flexible means of private air travel.”
In January, Lilium announced its arrival at ATLAS Flight Test Center in Spain and the hire of the company’s new phief pest pilot, Andrew Strachan, who joins Lilium with 30 years of test pilot experience. Lilium plans to continue flight tests with “one of its 5th generation technology demonstrators (‘PHX2’)” at higher speeds and over longer distances.
“We are very excited to be working together with the world’s largest private jet company, NetJets,” said Lilium Vice President of Business Sebastien Borel during a fourth quarter 2021 earnings conference call on March 1. “The U.S. market will be a good test for us to see how far we can go. But it’s meant to be global, and we’re confident this will drive us to be global.”
The press release stipulates that Lilium's proposed collaboration with NetJets is subject to both parties entering into definitive agreements of conditions and commercial terms.
