Flying Taxi Company Debuts Electric Jet Vehicle in US

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) jet maker Lilium introduced its electric jet into the U.S. market with its debut at a Houston, Texas, airport.

The electric aerial vehicle (EAV) is being introduced by EMCJET, a Houston-based aircraft brokerage firm that plans to showcase the jet at Galaxy FBO (fixed base operator).

Lilium partnered with Galaxy FBO allowing the EAV to be featured at its Houston Hobby Airport, Conroe North Houston Regional Airport and The Woodlands Heliport.

The eVTOL jet has an operating range of about 110 miles and would be capable of connecting routes such as Houston Hobby Airport to Galveston, Houston Spaceport to College Station and The Woodlands to Galveston.

EMCJET has a broad partnership with Lilium, which includes production slots for EAVs, with the first deliveries scheduled for 2026.

“Our clients want to own the future of aviation and, with our partnership with Lilium, they can do just that,” said Memo Montemayor, founder & CEO of EMCJET. “With a spacious cabin, luxurious finishes and vertical takeoff and landing capability, the Lilium Jet meets our clients’ needs to travel safely, sustainably and comfortably.”

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The Lilium eVTOL craft is a jet, unlike most EAVs.

Related:Flying Taxi Company Signs Deal to Sell 100 Electric Jets

The seven-seater vehicles are planned as a regional air mobility service, connecting cities and towns up to 125 miles apart at speeds of up to 185 mph.

The flying vehicle features forward canards (small wings near the front) along with main wings and a distributed propulsion system with fixed landing gear without hydraulics.

The flying taxi maker has been arranging numerous partnerships as it gets closer to test flights, expected in 2025.

“Lilium is serious about expanding in the U.S. and actively progressing towards FAA validation,” said Matthew Broffman, vice president of Commercial, Americas at Lilium. “As part of our commitment to working with communities across the U.S. and expanding our customer base, we’re excited to showcase our aircraft for the first time in Houston, a city with a proud legacy of aerospace innovation in America.” 

Lilium also has an agreement to sell up to 100 Lilium electric jets to Saudia Group for delivery in 2026 and be managed and run by Saudia Private, a subsidiary of aviation conglomerate Saudia Group.

Based on the Saudia Group deal, 50 jets would be delivered first with an option to purchase 50 more.

Lilium recently announced it was selling four jets to Volare Aviation subsidiary eVolare, 

Related:Flying Taxi Company Sells Electric Jets for London

one of the largest helicopter and private jet operators in the U.K. 

Evolare plans to operate the EAVs to connect London with outer cities and coastal areas of England with the goal of ultimately having 16 vehicles for use in the London area.

The Lilium order pipeline now comprises 106 firm orders and reservations, 76 options and 600 aircraft under early agreements, according to the company.

Lilium recently teamed with a vertiport operator and an airport management company to create a vertiport network for EAVs in the French Riviera.

Lilium, UrbanV and Aeroports de la Cote d’Azur plan to bring Lilium electric jet flights to the South of France starting in 2026. 

The plan is to create a network to connect the French Riviera with Monaco, Nice, Cannes, Golfe de Saint-Tropez, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.

The partners plan to establish and operate eVTOL vehicles within a network of vertiports including Nice Côte d’Azur airport, the second-largest airport in France, with Cannes Mandelieu Airport and Golfe de Saint-Tropez Airport.

Lilium also has announced an advanced test facility at the Lilium headquarters in Munich where it plans to house a fully integrated EAV to test avionics, flight controls, propulsion and electrical power systems. 

Related:Air Taxi Company Plans for French Riviera Operations

Lilium recently received an order for 20 of its vehicles from UrbanLink, which plans to operate them for trips to Miami, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale.

During takeoff, the EAV would use its 36 electric ducted fans to hover for up to 25 seconds and 20 seconds during the landing phase, according to the company. Most of the flight time would be in the cruise stage with a relatively short takeoff and landing time.

Lilium has teamed with the Lufthansa Group to explore opportunities in aviation including ground and flight operations, EAV maintenance and flight training in Europe.

The EAV maker also is teaming with jet and helicopter operator PhilJets to establish advanced air mobility (AAM) services in the Philippines and other Southeast Asia countries.

Lilium and PhilJets plan to jointly develop routes and determine passenger demand for an on-demand eVTOL service in the region, a deal that includes the sale of 10 jets to PhilJets.

LuftCar, the Florida developer of a hydrogen-powered eVTOL, also is expanding into the Philippines via a recent partnership with eFrancisco Motor Corporation (eFMC) to develop and deploy the LuftCar flying car system in the Philippines.