NetJets Agrees To Buy and Operate 150 Lilium Electric Aircraft

Under a memorandum of understanding, fractional aircraft provider NetJets plans to add 150 Lilium eVTOLs to its fleet, Lilium revealed to investors this week. NetJets has secured purchase rights for Lilium’s six-passenger model, which could be operated in both the U.S. and Europe.

In a February 28 statement to investors, Germany-based Lilium said NetJets would operate the aircraft and might also become a flight operations partner for Lilium’s planned service network in Florida and other locations. According to Lilium, NetJets could potentially run Lilium’s services in Florida under its existing Part 135 air operator certificate. In November 2020, Lilium announced plans to provide eVTOL connections between larger cities in central and south Florida, built around a network of vertiports at locations such as the Lake Nona community near Orlando.

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Lilium is aiming to certify its eVTOL and start commercial services in 2024. It has not said when it will start flight testing a preproduction prototype but has told investors it will release design data to its supply chain during the second quarter. The company is still flight testing a five-seat technology demonstrator of its ducted-fan, fixed-wing model.

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