- Lilium, UrbanV, and Aeroports de la Côte d’Azur forge innovative partnership to create vertiport network in the French Riviera as the first region in Europe to enable regional air mobility
- Lilium network to connect Monaco, Nice, Sophia Antipolis, Cannes, Golfe de Saint-Tropez, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille
- Lilium to sell its jet to operators with flights expected to start in 2026; set to bring low noise, fully electric air travel to a region that attracts 11 million tourists annually
ROME and NICE, France and MUNICH, Germany, May 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lilium N.V. (NASDAQ:LILM), developer of the first all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet and global pioneer in regional air mobility (RAM), UrbanV, the Italian vertiport network operator, and Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (ACA), managing Nice Côte d’Azur airport, the second largest airport place in France, along with the airports of Cannes Mandelieu and Golfe de Saint-Tropez, today announced plans to bring Lilium Jet flights to the South of France starting in 2026. A new network will connect the French Riviera with key destinations throughout Southern France including Monaco, Nice, Cannes, Golfe de Saint-Tropez, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille.
Lilium is teaming up with ACA and UrbanV to forge a partnership aiming to develop a large part of this network, building upon strong local ecosystem support in the South of France. As the first partnership of its kind in the region, this collaboration aims to establish and operate eVTOLs between a network of vertiports including Nice Côte d’Azur airport — the second-largest airport in France, transporting over 14 million travellers per year — together with Cannes Mandelieu airport, Golfe de Saint-Tropez airport, and further locations under consideration.
Additionally, Lilium is currently in ongoing discussions with further local partners for the possible creation of additional vertiports in Sophia Antipolis, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille, which are expected to be concluded before the end of the year.
Lilium is currently in talks with several operators that are interested in purchasing the Lilium Jet and operating the network to create a sustainable, time-saving experience for their passengers. The French Riviera, globally known as the Côte d’Azur, combines some of the world’s most attractive holiday and business event destinations on the Mediterranean coast of southeastern France. The Côte d’Azur serves as a vital transportation hub attracting over 11 million tourists annually.
Environmental sustainability is at the core of the Côte d’Azur region, with Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur committing to achieve carbon neutrality without offsetting its own emissions from 2030. With its expected VTOL capability, low noise, and zero operating emissions, the Lilium Jet will be the optimal mode of regional transportation to help achieve this goal. UrbanV’s vertiports will assist the commitment to emissions neutrality, developing sustainable ground infrastructure for eVTOLs to ensure safe, feasible, and seamless operations while providing a delightful passenger experience thanks to its innovative technologies and efficient operations.
Once live, the regional network will connect highly frequented destinations with fast, safe, and sustainable travel for passengers to get to their destination at a fraction of the time typically required by car.
Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Board, Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, said: “This collaboration with Lilium together with our subsidiary UrbanV marks an important step in the transformation and decarbonization of regional air mobility. Our territory offers a unique opportunity to fly over the sea to directly connect the main economic, cultural or tourist destinations. A complementary alternative to the helicopter, the eVTOL has its place in the air transport offered from Nice Côte d'Azur, laboratory of the airport of tomorrow, second platform in France and gateway to and exit from a landlocked territory.”
Carlo Tursi, CEO at UrbanV, said: “At UrbanV, we aim to improve people’s lives by enabling a fast, efficient, safe, and clean alternative to existing transport solutions for people and goods over short distances, by air. We have the ambition to become a major global operator of vertiport networks and we will be global pioneers in establishing some of the first AAM routes worldwide. We are excited to partner with Lilium and Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, two global leaders in their respective fields, and we look forward to exploring together with them the great potential of introducing advanced air mobility in the French Riviera.”
Sebastien Borel, CCO of Lilium, said: “As a truly European company based in Munich, Germany, with flight testing in Spain and with nascent roots in France, Lilium is extremely proud to be able to assist in the creation of the first regional eVTOL network in the South of France and the first commercially viable network in the EU. We see an enormous potential in this region and cannot wait to see our Lilium Jet fly there soon.”
Contact information for media:
Rainer Ohler
+49 172 489 0353
Rainer.ohler.ext@lilium.com
press@lilium.com
Martina Melosi
Communication and Marketing Specialist
martina@urbanv.com
+39 3293166920
Aymeric Staub - Head of Corporate Communications
+33 (0)7 88 73 27 41 / +33 (0)6 38 51 75 68 (24/7)
aymeric.staub@cote-azur.aeroport.fr
Lilium contact information for investors:
Rama Bondada
Vice President, Investor Relations
Investors@lilium.com
About Lilium
Lilium (NASDAQ: LILM) is creating a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, regional transportation for people and goods. Using the Lilium Jet, an all-electric vertical take-off and landing jet, designed to offer leading capacity, low noise, and high performance with zero operating emissions, Lilium is accelerating the decarbonization of air travel. Working with aerospace, technology, and infrastructure leaders, and with announced sales and indications of interest in Europe, the United States, China, Brazil, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lilium’s 1000+ strong team includes approximately 500 aerospace engineers and a leadership team responsible for delivering some of the most successful aircraft in aviation history. Founded in 2015, Lilium’s headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Munich, Germany, with teams based across Europe and the U.S. To learn more, visit www.lilium.com.
About Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur
The Groupe Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur manages Nice Côte d’Azur airport, the second largest airport place in France, along with the airports of Cannes Mandelieu and Golfe de Saint-Tropez. It is Europe’s 2nd largest airport hub in terms of business aviation. The Group’s three airports have received the level 4+ Carbon Neutral certification from ACI, and the Group has committed to reaching its goal of zero CO2 emissions without offsetting its own emissions by 2030. Since 2016, Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur is a privately owned group, with the majority of the capital held bythe Azzurra consortium.
https://societe.nice.aeroport.fr/
About UrbanV
UrbanV is a company owned by Aeroporti di Roma, Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, SAVE Group and Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport, for the development of Advanced Air Mobility infrastructure at an international level. The initial network of vertiports will include the reference areas of the founding partners and may be extended to other geographical areas. UrbanV’s ambition is to be among the first in the world to launch Advanced Air Mobility commercial networks, starting from Rome where it plans to activate the first route (Fiumicino Airport – Rome downtown) by 2025. UrbanV’s mission is to bring air mobility to urban centers by designing and managing vertiports, the infrastructure for Advanced Air Mobility. A new form of safe, sustainable, and integrated mobility.
Lilium Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements regarding: (i) Lilium N.V.’s and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Lilium Group”) proposed business and business model; (ii) the markets and industry in which the Lilium Group operates or intends to operate; (iii) the Lilium Group’s progress towards type certification (and type certificate validation) of its Lilium Jet with EASA and the FAA; and (iv) the Lilium Group’s plans, as described herein, to bring Lilium Jet flights to the South of France. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “estimate,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “on track,” “plan,” “project,” “should,” “strategy,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on management’s current expectations with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and are subject to risk and uncertainties that are subject to change at any time. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release include those risks and uncertainties discussed in Lilium’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, on file with the SEC, and similarly titled sections in Lilium’s other SEC filings, all of which are available at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Lilium assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update, or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
