Lilium, an electric aviation company based in Germany, says it has secured a binding sales agreement for up to 100 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with Saudia Group, which operates the largest airline carrier in Saudi Arabia and is wholly owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The agreement is a “firm order” for 50 Lilium jets, with an option to purchase up to 50 more, the company said. The deal follows a 2022 memorandum of understanding between Lilium and Saudia to explore ways in which battery-powered multi-rotor aircraft can address the region’s transportation challenges.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it has the potential to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Lilium has said it will sell its Pioneer aircraft for $10 million to individual buyers in the US looking to swap their polluting private jets with something more environmentally friendly.
Lilium is one of a handful of companies that wants to replace noisy, polluting helicopters and regional aircraft with all-electric, multi-rotor vehicles designed for short hops between nearby airports or quick trips from a dense, urban core to a local airport.
The Lilium jet features an egg-shaped fusillade with two wings, one fore and the other aft. A total of 30 batter-electric motors are built into the wings, which can tilt downward for vertical takeoff and hovering and then move flush with the wing for forward flight.
Lilium is not the first eVTOL company to see a potential market in the Middle East. China’s Ehang has been testing its own vehicles in Mecca for a possible future air taxi service. Two others, Eve and Joby, have both signed similar agreements with Saudi-based aviation companies for future sales.