UrbanLink orders 20 eVTOLs from Lilium
According to Lilium, the jet with its planned range should be able to fulfil the vision of the still-young company from Florida. The aim is to connect major cities such as Miami, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale with its own eVTOL service.
To achieve this, UrbanLink ordered a fleet of 20 eVTOLs from Lilium. The agreement also includes payment for the Lilium jets before they are delivered. There is also an option for the delivery of a further 20 units. However, no order value was specified. However, Lilium CCO Sebastien Borel emphasises that this is the first time a company has purchased electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft and not just invested in the manufacturer.
The use of vertiports is also planned for the UrbanLink service. These are take-off and landing sites for electric aircraft that take off and land vertically, such as air taxis and drones. It is not yet known when and where these will be built.
UrbanLink expects the certification process to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to all FAA and DOT approvals. Flight operations are scheduled to commence in summer 2026.
The newly formed UrbanLink will be led by Ed Wegel, an airline executive with 40 years of experience in finance, operations and sales. According to Lilium, Wegel has raised more than one billion US dollars for airlines during his career. However, the startup has announced that it will not stop at South Florida. UrbanLink also wants to expand into other markets such as Los Angeles. While details have yet to be released, UrbanLink has at least announced that “key strategic partners to help accelerate UrbanLink’s certification and growth” will be announced in the coming weeks.
“UrbanLink will be the first airline in the US to integrate eVTOL aircraft into its fleet. We are dedicated to revolutionizing the way people move to and from as well as within urban cores. After thorough evaluation of various manufacturers, we found the Lilium Jet to be the optimal choice for our needs, thanks to its superior cabin design, range, capacity, and cost-effectiveness,” explained Wegel.
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