Air cab: Lilium books order for 20 eVTOLs from Florida
The new company UrbanLink wants to connect cities in Florida with small electric aircraft from Germany.
(Image: Lilium)
The German air cab developer Lilium has booked an order for 20 of its small electric aircraft that can take off and land vertically. The new aviation company UrbanLink wants to use the eVTOLs to offer its services in the south of the US state of Florida.
It will probably be some time before then, with the first manned test flight scheduled for the end of this year, according to Lilium. UrbanLink intends to pay for the jets before the first delivery and use them for all of its flight operations, it adds. Lilium CCO Sebastien Borel emphasizes that this is the first time a company is buying eVTOL and not investing in the manufacturer. He sees this as a sign that the market for this type of aircraft has matured.
UrbanLink was only recently founded by Ed Wegel, most recently CEO and founder of the charter airline GlobalX. Lilium points out that Wegel has acquired around one billion US dollars for aviation companies in his 40-year career and has led certifications with the FAA for two US companies.
Flight operations planned for 2026
UrbanLink plans to use the Lilium jets to connect major cities such as Miami, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale from 2026. The airline chose Lilium for its cabin design, range, capacity and cost efficiency, according to the press release. UrbanLink intends to use a network of so-called vertiports for air traffic, for which Lilium has been working lately.
While most competitor models are designed like oversized drones, the Lilium Jet will take off and land vertically with swiveling propellers, but cover the distance like a conventional aircraft with the help of wings. This should enable higher speeds and greater efficiency.
Senkrechtstarter Lilium Jet (45 Bilder)
(Bild: Lilium)
The keyword Florida came up two years ago in connection with the declaration of intent by aviation service provider NetJets to purchase 150 eVTOLs from Lilium. NetJets had promised to explore options for a flight network in the US state, but also in other regions in the USA and Europe.
(anw)
