Air taxi startup Lilium N.V. has entered into an agreement with eVolare, a subsidiary of U.K.’s helicopter and jet vendor Volare Aviation, to sell four Lilium jets.
The agreement also includes a reservation of up to an additional 12 Lilium Jet production slots for eVolare and its customers.
eVolare said it plans to use the air taxis over London to help connect the city to outer regions and coastal areas in England. The companies have been collaborating since 2022 to develop a network of vertiports in the London region using the Lilium aircraft.
“The London area is a very important market and a great match for our aircraft range and capabilities eVolare was our first customer to sign a binding order and we continue to grow together,” Sebastien Borel, CCO of Lilium. “I have no doubt that eVolare will make Lilium extremely successful in the U.K.”
Last year, Lilium raised $250 million to further develop its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft including the Lilium Jet, which will be a manned aircraft. The company plans to test its air taxi in the second half of this year after testing its first transition flight from takeoff mode to cruising flight back in 2022.
Lilium will be one of the air taxi vendors expected to participate during the 2024 Summer Olympics. Other companies at the sports event include Volocopter, Airbus, Vertical Aerospace and Ascendance and Joby Aviation.