Lilium and Fraport partner on commercial eVTOL network development
Lilium has signed a deal with airport operator Fraport to work together on developing a commercial eVTOL network.
Active at 30 international airports across four continents, Fraport is the ideal partner to help Lilium analyse the use case for regional mobility with electric jets, according to CEO Klaus Roewe.
“With Fraport, we have partnered with one of the most renowned international airport operators in the world,” said Roewe. “Through this partnership, we expect to be able to analyze the conditions for regional aviation with electrically powered and quiet jets. Our goal is to jointly advance regulatory and practical steps for suitable framework conditions for electric aviation and our potential customers in Germany and Europe.”
The partnership will start by preparing Germany for the introduction of regional electric air mobility through work with industry groups and the German government. Part of that work will be analysis of future mobility concepts for vertiport networks looking at factors such as design, layout and accommodating electric infrastructure.
In recent years, Lilium has conducted a number of studies with airports and air traffic control authorities on eVTOL infrastructure implementation. These studies have been related to suitable locations, structure and airspace integration procedures, including potential use cases and routes.
Alexander Laukenmann, senior executive vice president Aviation, Fraport AG: “In this collaborative endeavour, our focus is on examining the impact of eVTOLs on airport infrastructure. As a cutting-edge and environmentally sustainable prospect for regional aviation, eVTOLs possess the potential to address and develop new models of individual travel and mobility requirements in a sustainable manner in the years to come.
“Fraport, being Germany´s intermodal hub number one, stands as a global frontrunner in seamlessly connecting diverse transportation modes. Our commitment is to uphold and expand this leadership,” added Laukenmann.
