Lilium plans flights on the Côte d’Azur
The Munich-based electric aircraft startup continues its offensive in France. A fortnight ago, Lilium announced that it hoped to receive French state aid if it set up a production facility for its eVTOL in France. Lilium has now announced important partnerships for the take-off and landing of its aircraft in France.
The aim is to establish a vertiport network on the French Riviera to enable regional flights. The take-off and landing points will be Monaco, Nice, Sophia Antipolis, Cannes, the Bay of Saint-Tropez, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. To this end, Lilium is partnering with the Italian Vertiport network operator UrbanV and Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (ACA). The company operates Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, the second largest airport in France, and Cannes Mandelieu and Golfe de Saint-Tropez airports.
As the first partnership of its kind in the region, this collaboration aims to set up and operate electric vertical take-offs between a network of airports, including Nice Côte d’Azur Airport – the second largest airport in France, serving over 14 million travellers annually – as well as Cannes Mandelieu Airport, Golfe de Saint-Tropez Airport and other sites currently under consideration.
In addition, Lilium is currently in discussions with other local partners regarding the possible establishment of additional vertiports in Sophia Antipolis, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, which will be finalised before the end of the year. Lilium is also in talks with several operators interested in acquiring the Lilium Jet and running the network to provide a sustainable, time-saving experience for their passengers.
Once operational, the regional network will connect high-frequency destinations with a fast, safe and sustainable journey, allowing passengers to reach their destination in a fraction of the time it would typically take by car.
Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, said: “This collaboration with Lilium together with our subsidiary UrbanV marks an important step in the transformation and decarbonisation of regional air mobility. Our territory offers a unique opportunity to fly over the sea to directly connect the main economic, cultural or tourist destinations. A complementary alternative to the helicopter, the eVTOL has its place in the air transport offered from Nice Côte d’Azur, laboratory of the airport of tomorrow, second platform in France and gateway to and exit from a landlocked territory.”
Sebastien Borel, CCO of Lilium, added: “As a truly European company based in Munich, Germany, with flight testing in Spain and with nascent roots in France, Lilium is extremely proud to be able to assist in the creation of the first regional eVTOL network in the South of France and the first commercially viable network in the EU. We see an enormous potential in this region and cannot wait to see our Lilium Jet fly there soon.”
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