Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Lilium announced at the Farnborough International Airshow that it has formed a strategic partnership with vertical flight solutions company Bristow. The arrangement, outlined in a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU), includes plans for Bristow to purchase 50 Lilium eVTOL jets and provide Part 145 maintenance services for the Lilium Jet’s launch network in Florida and other U.S. and European markets. It also has provisions for collaborating on regulatory approvals for the eVTOL design.
“Leveraging our 70+ year legacy of innovative and sustainable vertical flight to partner with companies like Lilium to usher in a new era of vertical flight solutions is a cornerstone of Bristow’s future operational outlook,” said Bristow President and CEO Christopher Bradshaw. “Bristow has played a key role in successfully introducing several new VTOL platforms for the past 50+ years, so it is a natural evolution for us to take a leading role in the new and exciting Advanced Air Mobility market and lend our expertise to innovative and dynamic companies like Lilium.”
Lilium has previously stated that it is targeting a top speed of up to 300 km/h (162 knots) for the seven-seat version of the Lilium Jet. The company is aiming for the aircraft to provide regional air taxi and freight services on routes ranging from 40 to 200 km (22-108 NM) at launch with a goal of extending the range to up to 500 km (270 NM). As previously reported by AVweb, Lilium’s Phoenix 2 technology demonstrator achieved main wing transition during flight testing last month.
