Munich-based eVTOL developer Lilium has announced that Stuttgart Airport will become a hub for a planned regional air mobility network in southern Germany using its seven-seat eVTOL Lilium Jet. Stuttgart is set to become a key node in a previously announced network that already includes Munich and Nuremberg airports.
Daniel Wiegand, CEO of Lilium said, “Fully electric and ultra-quiet Lilium Jets will connect passengers from Stuttgart, Munich and Nuremberg more closely with neighbouring cities and regions.”
The six-passenger Lilium Jet is projected to fly with zero operating emissions at a maximum range of 250km and a cruise speed of 280 km/h.
The Lilium Jet is currently undergoing concurrent type certification processes with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), aiming for its first passenger services to launch in 2024. Lilium claims ticket prices will be comparable to conventional transport methods in the medium term.
“We want people in our region to get to their destinations in the best possible way and to have a wide choice of modes of transport,” said Dr Arina Freitag, managing director of Stuttgart Airport. “That is why we are developing Stuttgart Airport into a unique hub for sustainable and innovative forms of mobility. The regional and supra-regional high-speed connections with small electric aircraft, such as those planned by Lilium, are a very promising addition to the Stuttgart location.”
Dr Florian Stegmann, Minister of State and Head of the State Chancellery of the State of Baden-Württemberg added, “We see the opportunities that such modern mobility concepts can bring. What is certain is that flying in the future must be climate-friendly and safe.”
Through its Air Mobility Initiative, the Bavarian State Government will provide €100 million for research and development. Minister of State Dr Florian Herrmann, Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, says, “Electric air shuttles are innovative, environmentally conscious and set the tone for our future. They open up completely new ways of travelling and can enrich our mobility with a state-of-the-art alternative. By building a network across transport systems, we create great potential for quiet, emission-free and fast mobility.”
Lilium has also planned a western German network with Cologne Bonn and Düsseldorf airports, and is collaborating with Ferrovial on a network of vertiports in Florida, with the first passenger flights expected to start there in 2024.
Lilium also recently announced a planned strategic alliance with major Brazilian airline Azul to build an eVTOL network in Brazil, expected to start operations in 2025.
