Lilium Selects Orlando For First Air Taxi Hub

Electric aircraft developer Lilium has chosen Lake Nona in Orlando, Florida, for the location of the first U.S. hub in its proposed electric air mobility network. The company, which is headquartered in Munich, Germany, is partnering with Orlando-based Tavistock Development Company to build the Lake Nona “vertiport.” Lilium is targeting 2025 for the launch of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL)-based air taxi service.

“We are thrilled to partner with Tavistock and build the first stretch of Florida’s high-speed electric transportation network with Central Florida at its core,” said Lilium COO Remo Gerber. “It shows that regional high-speed air mobility can be built by private initiative and give communities such as Lake Nona, which can also serve Orlando and arrivals from its international airport, the ability to determine themselves whether they want a link into a high-speed transportation network.”

As previously reported by AVweb, Lilium officially introduced its five-seat Lilium Jet eVTOL prototype in May 2019, noting that it had already begun flight testing the model. The aircraft is expected to have a top speed of 300 km/h (162 knots) and a range of 300 km (162 NM). A two-seat prototype underwent flight testing in 2017.