Lilium to supply Azul with 220 eVTOL aircraft for exclusive network in Brazil; Tesla veteran and aviation executive also join its Board of Directors
Lilium is to work with Brazilian airline Azul and bring regional air mobility to the country, by selling 220 eVTOL aircraft in a deal worth $1 billion. The company has also announced Gabrielle Toledano and Henri Courpron will join its Board of Directors, following the completion of Lilium’s business combination with Qell Acquisition Corp.
The German startup plans to work with Azul to establish a co-branded network in the country, which has close to 100 million domestic air passengers every year and is currently one of the world’s leading civilian helicopter and business aviation markets.
As part of the commercial arrangement, Lilium would intend to sell the aircraft to Azul, which expect to begin operating in 2025. The strategic alliance and aircraft order with Azul remain subject to the parties finalising commercial terms and definitive documentation relating thereto.
These announcements coincide with Lilium’s Capital Market Day, taking place at 11am ET today (Monday).
Daniel Wiegand, Co-Founder and CEO of Lilium said: “Azul has brought convenient and affordable air travel to underserved markets across the Americas and this makes them an ideal partner for Lilium. We’re excited to work with Azul’s seasoned team to deploy a co-branded eVTOL network in Brazil.
“We’re also thrilled to welcome Gabrielle Toledano and Henri Courpron to the future Board of Directors of Lilium N.V., where they’ll strengthen our Board with their operational and financial experience.”
Azul would expect to operate and maintain the Lilium Jet fleet, while Lilium would provide an aircraft health monitoring platform, replacement batteries and other custom spare parts. Azul also expects to support Lilium with the necessary regulatory approval processes in Brazil for certification of the Lilium Jet and any other required regulatory approvals.
Lilium plans to be in operation in multiple regions in 2025, offering people the opportunity to travel faster than existing high-speed alternatives and with zero-operating emissions. Lilium’s Brazil launch plans would be expected to provide significant incremental revenue alongside previously announced network launch plans in Europe and the US.
John Rodgerson, CEO of Azul, said: “Azul is the largest domestic airline in Brazil in terms of cities served and daily departures. Our brand presence, our unique route network, and our powerful loyalty program give us the tools to create the markets and demand for the Lilium Jet network in Brazil.
“As we did in the Brazilian domestic market over the last 13 years, we look forward to again, now with the Lilium Jet, working to create a whole new market in the years to come.”
In being appointed to Lilium’s Board of Directors, which will be chaired by former Airbus CEO Tom Enders, Toledano brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in technology, gaming and digital transformation within Fortune 500 companies such as Tesla, Electronic Arts, Microsoft and Oracle.
She is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Keystone Strategy LLC. Her previous positions include the role of Executive in Residence for Comcast Ventures and its portfolio companies and Chief People Officer at Tesla, Electronic Arts and Siebel Systems.
And with over 30 years in management positions in the aviation industry, Henri Courpron will add extensive industry expertise to Lilium’s board. He is currently Chairman of Plane View Partners LLC, an aviation and aerospace advisory firm, and was previously the Chief Executive Officer of International Lease Finance Corporation (“ILFC”) where he led a series of strategic initiatives to strengthen its financial position, governance and global footprint.
Prior to joining ILFC, he served for 20 years at Airbus in a number of management positions, including President and Chief Executive Officer of Airbus, North America. Henri is also a former director of Azul Airlines in Brazil and TAP Portugal. He is a current director of Breeze Airways.
Toledano, said: “Lilium’s vision is key to the future of how we travel. I look forward to bringing my operative experiences to helping the company scale and reach its potential to provide an accessible mode of high-speed, regional transportation with zero operating emissions to the world.”
Courpron, Founder and Chairman of Plane View Partners LLC, and a former CEO of ILFC and Airbus North America, added: “Emissions free aviation is not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’.
“With a unique design, Lilium is bringing together new ideas and talent with proven executives and technology under Daniel’s vision and leadership. I am delighted to have been invited to pass my decades of experience along to the next generation of innovators and leaders in aviation.”