Lilium announces collaboration with Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn airports

By eVTOL | September 8, 2020

The German eVTOL developer Lilium will work with Düsseldorf Airport and Cologne/Bonn Airport to explore how the two airports can become hubs within a regional air mobility network spanning North Rhine-Westphalia.

The collaboration was announced Sept. 8 in Düsseldorf in the presence of North Rhine-Westphalia Transportation Minister Hendrik Wüst. With 18 million inhabitants, North Rhine-Westphalia is the largest and most densely populated German state, including 10 cities with over 300,000 inhabitants.

According to Lilium, that makes it ideal for the regional air mobility service the company is aiming to establish with its five-seat, fully electric Lilium Jet. Whereas many eVTOL developers are focused on intra-urban mobility, Lilium is betting that its high-speed air taxis will offer more value for longer regional trips than crosstown hops.

“We are excited to bring our innovative service to North Rhine-Westphalia,” stated Lilium chief operating officer Dr. Remo Gerber. “Cities such as Aachen, Bielefeld, Münster, and Siegen will be directly connected to the region’s largest international airports within 30 minutes, providing emission-free, high-speed connectivity at an affordable price.”

Said Wüst: “In the federal state with the highest mobility needs, smart ideas for better mobility are always welcome. We need all modes of transport in order to provide people with a convincingly diverse range of mobility options.”

Düsseldorf Airport is the largest airport in North Rhine-Westphalia, while Cologne/Bonn Airport is one of the most important commercial airports in Germany, with two almost equally strong business segments in passenger traffic and air freight. As international traffic hubs with strong connections to air, rail, and road traffic, both are seen as a promising starting point for the development of digitally networked mobility, including air taxis.

“North Rhine-Westphalia and its airports are ideal partners for us to implement this ambitious project of the future — we are grateful to receive this support from both the Ministry and our partners at the airports to implement our vision,” Gerber said.

Lilium is aiming to launch its air taxi service by 2025.