One of the world’s leading electric vehicle takeoff and landing (eVTOL) developers, Lilium, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Singapore Airshow 2024 with PhilJets for the future purchase of 10 Lilium Jets.
Lilium announced on February 20, 2024, that following extensive negotiations with PhilJets a deal is now in place to provide the eVTOL aircraft and also establish a partnership to create an operation network across the Philippines and other Southeast Asia countries such as Cambodia.
PhilJets currently operates a fleet comprising 15 private jets and helicopters and operates both private and commercial flights.
“Our team is proud to collaborate with Lilium on the mission to transform the Philippine´s mobility with eVTOLs. With its growing economy, geography, and important tourism industry, the Philippines is a great match to the Lilium Jet´s capabilities. Innovation in aviation is gaining traction among regulators, urban planners, and industry leaders of worldwide economies,” Thierry Tea, Chairman, PhilJets, said following the announcement at the Singapore Airshow.
Tea added: “Providing efficient connectivity to customers while reducing carbon emissions is a major focus for air transport operators such as PhilJets. We are also looking forward to bringing this technology into Cambodia and other countries in the region.”
Together Lilium and PhilJets will develop a future service for the region including defining routes and locating where demand for eVTOL operations is highest.
Both companies will also identify potential sites, requirements, and partners for landing infrastructure, including the identification of vertiport partners in the region, sharing vertiport specifications, and access to Lilium’s existing network of charging hardware providers.
‘Asia is a key market for Lilium’
With more than 7,500 island, the Philippines is viewed by Lilium as a perfect fit for eVTOL services.
“Our strategic partnership with PhilJets will expand our footprint even further in Asia, bringing the Lilium Jet to Southeast Asia. The Philippines is well suited for eVTOLs to effectively connect thousands of islands together through sustainable and high-speed air mobility. Asia is a key market for Lilium — and with the unique topographical challenges this region presents, the innovative design of the Lilium Jet is uniquely suited to address them,” Sebastien Borel, Chief Commercial Officer, Lilium, said.
Lilium’s eVTOL aircraft design is different to many of its competitors that tend to use a helicopter inspired design.
Instead, its aircraft have more similarities with a jet plane, relying on Ducted Electric Vectored Thrust (DEVT) as the core technology.
The design allows the aircraft to take off vertically before accelerating off horizontally, similar to a plane.