Saudi Airline Announces Plan To Buy 100 Electric Planes, As Interest In Air-Taxis Grows

Saudi Airline Announces Plan To Buy 100 Electric Planes, As Interest In Air-Taxis Grows

A render of the 7-Seater Lilium electric plane on approach into New York Saudi Arabia's national airline Saudia has signed an agreement which could see it take delivery of up to 100 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jets. The airline announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Nasdaq-listed Lilium at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh on October 26. The plans could lead to the airline launching a network of services around the country, with both point-to-point flights and services feeding into Saudia's main hubs. The services are likely to be aimed at business class customers. Lilium, which is headquartered in Germany, still needs to gain approval from regulators in Saudi Arabia before its jets can fly there. Saudia chief executive Captain Ibrahim Koshy said the arrangement with Lilium could "contribute effectively to spurring sustainable tourism in Saudi using zero-emission aviation." The MoU is the first such deal for Lilum in the Middle East. However, given it is an MoU rather than a definitive agreement, there is no guarantee at this stage that it will progress. The two sides still need to complete a feasibility assessment and agree commercial terms. Other eVTOL companies are also