Saudia unveils plan to purchase 100 Lilium jets: What we know so far

Saudia unveils plan to purchase 100 Lilium jets: What we know so far

Saudi Arabian (Saudia), the Kingdom’s national airline, has unveiled plans to purchase 100 all-electric jets made by Lilium N.V., based in Germany. The Lilium team aims to get the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to certify the eVTOL aircraft. The Saudi flag-carrier announced the investment in the next-generation air taxis using electric vertical take-off and landing (e-VTOL) technology at the recently-concluded Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh. The move, reported by Avionics International, would make Saudia the first in the MENA region to push for Lilium's sustainable air mobility architecture, which is currently undergoing certification. While the announcement did not disclose the amount involved, based on previous agreements signed by Lilium, the the deal has an estimated value of about $450 million. Lilium aims to build 400 jets a year. Lilium seeks to develop a new aviation platform and make accessible a mode of high-speed, regional transportation using electric “ducted jet engines” — the core element of its technology — and make it more economically viable. Lilium, based in Germany, is developing a radically different way of moving people and goods with its VTOL electric jet. The Lilium team aims to get the Federal