German electric aerospace firm Lilium has signed a $1 billion (€1.19 billion) partnership deal with Brazilian airline Azul for the construction of an exclusive electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) network in the South American country starting in 2025.
7-seater Lilium Jet flying towards Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Lilium
7-seater Lilium Jet flying towards Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Lilium
In a press release, Lilium said that it plans to work with Azul to radically transform high-speed regional transportation in a country that sees close to 100 million domestic air passengers a year and is currently one of the world’s leading civilian helicopter and business aviation markets.
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Through a combination of Azul’s knowledge of the Brazilian market and Lilium’s eVTOL aircraft platform, the companies say they plan to negotiate the terms for the establishment of a co-branded network in Brazil.
As part of the deal, which is still subject to regulatory approval, Lilium will sell 220 aircraft to Azul that will operate across the network.
Azul would expect to operate and maintain the Lilium Jet fleet, while Lilium would provide an aircraft health monitoring platform, replacement batteries and other custom spare parts. Azul also expects to support Lilium with the necessary regulatory approval and certification processes in Brazil for certification of the Lilium Jet and any other required regulatory approvals.
Lilium plans to be in operation in multiple regions in 2025, offering people the opportunity to travel faster than existing high-speed alternatives and with zero emissions.
Daniel Wiegand, Co-Founder and CEO of Lilium said: “Azul has brought convenient and affordable air travel to underserved markets across the Americas and this makes them an ideal partner for Lilium. We’re excited to work with Azul’s seasoned team to deploy a co-branded eVTOL network in Brazil.”
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John Rodgerson, CEO of Azul, said: “Azul is the largest domestic airline in Brazil in terms of cities served and daily departures. Our brand presence, our unique route network, and our powerful loyalty program give us the tools to create the markets and demand for the Lilium Jet network in Brazil. As we did in the Brazilian domestic market over the last 13 years, we look forward to again, now with the Lilium Jet, working to create a whole new market in the years to come.”
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