The Bavarian air taxi developer Lilium has big plans for the future and has caught the interest of Lufthansa. A strategic cooperation is being considered to advance the operation of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft in Europe. This was announced by both companies on Thursday in Munich.

The focus of the collaboration is the planned maiden flight of the innovative "Lilium Jet," scheduled for the end of 2024. The signed letter of intent also foresees potential cooperation opportunities with airports and other partners. This aims to lead to an optimal market launch and utilization of electric vertical take-offs in Europe.

Lilium anticipates a promising market and predicts high demand for around 9200 electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in Europe by 2035. These are seen as environmentally friendly and efficient alternatives to conventional airplanes and could thus play a significant role in future air mobility.

To advance their visionary project, Lilium received a capital injection of $192 million from various investors in July. With this financial support, an important milestone was achieved, and the biggest financial worries on the way to the first manned flight of the "Lilium Jet" were eliminated.

The first flight is scheduled for the second half of 2024 and is already promising to be an exciting event. The collaboration with an industry giant like Lufthansa shows the confidence in Lilium's innovative concept and illustrates the desire for sustainable mobility in the aviation industry.

For the expansion and distribution of electric vertical take-off aircraft, a strong partnership is of great importance. With Lufthansa, Lilium now has a renowned partner at its side, possessing the necessary resources and experience to successfully implement the visionary project.

Lufthansa and Lilium's decision shows that the future aviation industry is on the path to environmentally friendly and efficient flight solutions. A promising cooperation that not only advances the company and its partners but will also have a positive impact on the aviation industry and society.