Germany’s air taxi developer Lilium wins big order from Saudia: Report

State-owned Saudi airline Saudia placed a major order with Germany-based air taxi company Lilium on Wednesday, a report said.

The report stated that, later in July 2024, the firm is expected to announce the Saudia deal during an event to be held at Lilium’s headquarters near Munich. 

Flying taxi companies, including Lilium and competitor Volocopter GmbH, are about to approach an important phase in their pursuit for certification, during which they will need to secure additional funding. Lilium plans to start flying its aircraft in 2026 which features small-ducted fans and two pairs of wings.

Lilium declined to comment specifically but sent an invitation to the same event, saying reporters would witness an important contract signing.

It would be one of the biggest orders for Lilium, which says it has 780 firm orders and letters of intent to date, including the plans with Saudia. The firm needs advance payments from customers to finalise the development of its flying taxi.

The first manned flight is scheduled for the end of the year.

Earlier this year, Joby Aviation, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mukamalah Aviation, a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, at the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh.