Lilium, the developer of the groundbreaking all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet, was in full force at this week’s Farnborough International Airshow. At a private event on Sunday ahead of the show, the company showed the full-scale model of its six-passenger Jet. Sebastian Borel, Chief Commercial Officer, did the honors. On Monday, CEO Klaus Roewe delivered a keynote presentation on the future of electric flying. In addition, it made several announcements with partners in support of the first customer deliveries in 2026.

The Munich, Germany-based startup founded in 2015 is focused on creating a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, regional transportation for people and goods. The company is accelerating the decarbonization of air travel using the Lilium Jet, an eVTOL aircraft designed to offer leading capacity, low noise, and high performance with zero operating emissions.

The jet uses a unique arrangement of multiple ducted propellers driven by electric motors to provide lift during take-off, landing, and thrust during the cruise phase. The production aircraft prototype is powered by 30 electric motors, six on each of the two front canards and nine on each rear wing, installed above ten tiltable rear flaps. The drive-carrying flaps pivot downward for vertical launch, and forward thrust is generated at the transition to the horizontal position.

Earlier this month, the company announced a major step towards commercialization with a binding sales agreement with the Saudia Group, which includes a confirmed order for 50 Lilium Jets and an option for an additional 50. The company says it represents the largest commitment in the eVTOL sector by an airline that plans to operate the aircraft and the largest in the MENA region. Before commercialization, Saudia Group will provide strategic support in Lilium’s certification process with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Saudi Arabia’s aviation regulatory agency.

This purchase agreement with Saudia Group marks the latest addition to Lilium’s pipeline, which now consists of 106 firm orders and reservations, 76 options, and roughly 600 aircraft under MOUs.

 

Program update

The day before the Saudia Group announcement, Lilium confirmed its schedule for the first customer deliveries in 2026 and provided additional program details. The confirmation was based on a recent program review that considered the testing and validation requirements needed before the first manned flight, which is now scheduled for early 2025, and the readiness of its support organization and training devices for its customers.

The company is currently building the first two aircraft at its production facility in Gauting, south of Munich, Germany. The company has been working with FlightSafety International on an engineering simulator to be delivered early next year to support the type certification program.

Lilium Jet MSN 2, now scheduled to perform the first manned flight in early 2025, is being assembled with its fuselage, landing gear, wing, canard, and electric harnesses. The company says the delay is due to the indirect effects of the ongoing industry-wide supply chain constraints and will have no material impact on customer deliveries, program planning, or total program costs. Assembly of MSN 3 will start later this year, and that aircraft will join the certification flight test campaign in 2025.

Lilium and FlightSafety International will soon present a flight crew training simulator to EASA and FOCA, the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation that supports EASA in the training program certification. This will pave the way to the final development of training devices.

“Our latest program review highlighted that our plan for 2026 first deliveries is confirmed despite the new timeline for the first flight, with no material impact on customer deliveries,” said Roewe. “With EASA, we continue to be working on the highest safety level of our product and we are ramping up production of our test aircraft. We also want to announce by year-end the 2026 launch location of the Lilium Jet with one of our customers.”

On top of the certification effort, Lilium continues to build its support and services organization, Power-On, to ensure a smooth entry-into-service experience for its customers. After partnering with AJW Group for material services, Dedienne for the ground support equipment, and Star Charge for its charging station, Power-On is now concentrating its efforts on digital solutions.

 

Propulsion tested

On the technology development front, Lilium said in June that it completed the first series of tests of its electric jet propulsion unit. For the first time, it was taken up to maximum thrust on the propulsion unit test bench, representing an important step toward verifying the safety-of-flight of the aircraft. The tests demonstrated the expected level of performance and reliability, bolstering the company’s confidence in the maturity of the electric jet propulsion system.

“For my fellow co-founders and myself, the first test run of the Lilium Jet propulsion unit marks another high point in our journey,” said Daniel Wiegand, Co-founder & Chief Engineer for Innovation and Future Programmes at Lilium. “It was our shared belief in the radical potential of electric jet technology that brought us together in 2015 and continues to drive Lilium on the way to transforming regional aviation. This latest milestone brings us closer to the first manned flight and our goal of commercial entry into service.”

Testing of the propulsion unit, comprising two engines within a propulsion-mounting system, was carried out on a propulsion unit test bed designed for aerodynamic and electrical performance evaluation of jet technology at Lilium’s headquarters near Munich. The engine was developed and built with a team of suppliers including Denso and Honeywell for the e-motor, Aeronamic for the compressor fan, and SKF for the electric motor bearings.

“Completion of the first engine test is a significant achievement for Lilium, demonstrating once again Lilium’s credentials as a world leader in the development of electric jet propulsion technology,” said Stephen Vellacott, Chief Technology Officer at Lilium. “Over the past years, we have invested heavily in the technology and secured extensive IP rights. We now move a step closer to the first manned flight and beyond that to the era of commercial electric flight.”

Lilium is gearing up for initial series production of the propulsion unit at its propulsion assembly line near Munich. Aerostructures supplier Aernnova recently completed the first build of the propulsion-mounting system, the structure that houses the propulsion and vectoring systems and forms the rear part of the wings and front aerofoils. Earlier in June, the Spanish industrial engineering and technology group Sener delivered the jet’s first set of servo-actuators that enable the propulsion units to be rotated, allowing the aircraft to transition to and from vertical and horizontal flight modes.