The company on Tuesday announced a partnership with California-based vertiport developer and operator Skyway Technologies to install eVTOL hubs in South Florida and Puerto Rico. The partners plan to release more information on locations and routes in those markets in the coming months, with plans to launch service in 2026.

“Our partnership with UrbanLink is advancing the industry towards launching operations in the United States,” said Clifford Cruz, CEO of Skyway.

Similar to a heliport, a vertiport allows an eVTOL aircraft to take off and land vertically, with additional infrastructure for electric charging. In addition to design and operation, Skyway provides vertiport services such as air traffic management and mission planning.

The partnership is UrbanLink’s second in as many months following an agreement with Texas-based Ferrovial Vertiports to build a network of hubs in South Florida and the Los Angeles metro area.

Both collaborations are intended to set the stage for Lilium Jet operations across networks linking the takeoff and landing locations. The sites are also meant to serve “the broader [advanced air mobility (AAM)] industry,” UrbanLink says.

“In order to finance and build the vertiports needed to support the AAM industry, it is crucial to have multiple partners,” said Ed Wegel, who founded UrbanLink earlier this year and serves as chairman. “We are impressed with Skyway’s understanding of our business and their commitment to delivering well-designed, safe, and efficient vertiports in the U.S. and Caribbean.”

The operator is eyeing a 2026 U.S. commercial launch, which is in line with Lilium’s projections for when its flagship Lilium Jet will be ready for service.

The manufacturer is so far the only company to receive certification bases from both the FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for a commercial eVTOL design. It intends to fly on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as in the Middle East.

The Lilium Jet is expected to cruise at 162 knots on city-to-city trips spanning 25 to 125 sm (22 to 109 nm). It uses a propulsion system seldom seen on eVTOL designs, with a pair of electric motors feeding 10 independent battery packs that power 36 electric ducted fans embedded in the aircraft’s fixed wings. These allow it to hover and take off vertically like a helicopter, with minimal noise production or impact on cruise performance, Lilium says.

By contrast, manufacturers such as Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation employ tilting rotors and propellers that aid in both vertical and forward flight.

The unique propulsion system underwent initial testing in June ahead of the Lilium Jet’s first crewed flight, expected later this year. The manufacturer began building its first production prototype aircraft, which will be used to validate the design with regulators, in December.

Since partnering in May, Lilium and UrbanLink have moved quickly to target eVTOL jet operations in South Florida—which is poised to be Lilium’s U.S. base of operations—Los Angeles, Southern California, and Puerto Rico. Announcements for additional locations are on the horizon, they said Tuesday.

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Soon, a very different kind of Butterfly—the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi from manufacturer Overair—may grace the Golden State’s skies following a partnership between Overair and Clay Lacy Aviation. The FBO network and infrastructure developer is working with the manufacturer to introduce advanced air mobility (AAM) services across Southern California.

The core focus of the strategic collaboration will be on vertiports and a concept of operations for Butterfly and other AAM aircraft. Clay Lacy Aviation will spearhead the development of electric charging infrastructure and operational logistics.

“Ultra-quiet, all-electric aircraft bring the promise of convenient and efficient transportation, easing traffic congestion and reducing travel times,” said Scott Cutshall, senior vice president of strategy and sustainability at Clay Lacy Aviation.

Overair, meanwhile, will bring expertise in aircraft integration, certification, and maintenance, as well as flight path planning and user and vertiport software. The manufacturer will also work to get the public on board for AAM services.

“AAM is an ideal addition to Southern California’s transportation network, creating a new option for fast, safe, and quiet transportation in the region,” said Valerie Manning, chief commercial officer of Overair. “We have been working with our partners at Clay Lacy [Aviation] for over a year and are delighted to announce our shared plan. We are confident that this strategic collaboration will leverage our respective strengths.”

Standing up vertiports will be a key component of the partnership, providing Clay Lacy Aviation hubs out of which to fly Butterfly. The vertiports figure to feature heavily in Overair’s concept of operations for AAM services in the region, which will dictate exactly how Butterfly and other air taxis fly.

Overair completed its first full-scale Butterfly prototype in December, joining a handful of manufacturers to have actually built an eVTOL design. The aircraft—designed to fly a pilot and up to five passengers on 100 sm (87 nm) zero-emission trips, cruising at 174 knots—is expected to begin flight testing this year.

“As we continue to make strides developing Butterfly, we’re also focused on partnering with infrastructure leaders to ensure that operations using this new mode of transit can be scaled quickly and efficiently,” said John Criezis, head of mobility operations at Overair.

Overair and Clay Lacy Aviation intend to install electric charging infrastructure across Southern California, starting with the latter’s FBO locations at John Wayne Airport (KSNA) in Orange County and Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) in Los Angeles. 

According to the partners, their intent is to cover the broad needs of all AAM operators rather than a single standard. Overair, for example, is one of many eVTOL manufacturers that signed onto the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s (GAMA) endorsement of the combined charging system (CCS) standard for electric aviation.

CCS is designed to support all electric vehicles, ground or air. It’s the most widely used global standard for electric ground vehicles but is steadily losing out to Tesla’s North American charging system (NACS) alternative. For air taxis, Joby Aviation is pushing its global electric aviation charging system (GEACS) as the industry standard.

A pair of CCS supporters—Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies—have publicly clashed with Joby over which system should be adopted universally. Clay Lacy Aviation, however, intends to build infrastructure that fits both proposals.

“Clay Lacy Aviation is committed to installing the electrical infrastructure to support all makes and models of electric aircraft, both fixed wing and eVTOL, to encourage the adoption of electric flight,” Cutshall told FLYING. “In planning our new FBO development at John Wayne Airport, we are speaking with multiple OEMs and our local utility provider to ensure that the electric infrastructure we build out can support both CCS and GEACS charging protocols.”

Joby this week agreed to install GEACS chargers in the New York City region, following a partnership with Atlantic Aviation to electrify FBO terminals in New York and Los Angeles. Both Archer and Beta also signed partnerships with Atlantic to add CCS systems at other company locations. Joby will also install a GEACS charger at Clay Lacy Aviation’s John Wayne FBO.

It’s possible that one system will entirely supplant the other as OEMs and operators pick a side—a scenario that appears to be unfolding in the U.S. electric ground vehicle industry. But whether CCS or GEACS wins out, Clay Lacy Aviation intends to be able to serve both.

Overair’s agreement with Clay Lacy Aviation comes on the heels of similar arrangements with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW) and the city of Arlington, Texas, to launch AAM services in the North Texas region. The manufacturer plans to deliver aircraft to customers in India and South Korea, working with local partners to develop infrastructure and operational plans.

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