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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Following the start of aircraft production in December, the company on Tuesday began building the aviation-grade battery packs that will power its flagship Lilium Jet: a seven-seat eVTOL designed for regional air mobility (RAM) services.

Each Jet will be fitted with 10 independent battery packs, intended to boost range. The packs are also redundant, allowing the aircraft to fly and land safely if one fails. According to Lilium, production follows extensive testing all the way down to the individual battery cell.

The first battery packs off the assembly line at the manufacturer’s purpose-built battery factory, just outside its headquarters in Munich, will be used to perform verification testing ahead of the Lilium Jet’s first piloted flight. That milestone is being targeted for late 2024.

“The start of production of the battery packs is a proud moment for Lilium,” said Yves Yemsi, chief operating officer of Lilium. “Battery technology is central to the goal of delivering sustainable regional air mobility, including overcoming the challenges of developing and industrializing a battery pack that will meet the stringent safety standards of aircraft certification.”

Lilium’s battery packs are composed of lithium-ion cells with silicon-dominant anodes. The company claims these enable greater energy, power, and fast-charging capabilities than graphite anode cells, which are much more common in batteries today. However, many automakers, including Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and General Motors, are eyeing transitions to silicon anodes, which are believed to provide a higher energy density than graphite.

The packs are designed to meet European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) safety standards around shock resistance, heat resistance, containment, and redundancy. According to Lilium, it has secured intellectual property rights for the technology.

The German manufacturer says its batteries are designed to support a higher power and energy density for regional—rather than urban—air mobility operations, with the implication being that they are more powerful than those of competitors focused on urban air mobility (UAM).

RAM and UAM are subsets of advanced air mobility (AAM). RAM seeks to connect cities within a region, while UAM focuses more on intracity operations. The Lilium Jet is expected to cruise at 162 knots on regional trips spanning 25 to 125 sm (22 to 109 nm).

Each Jet’s 10 battery packs will power electric jet engines produced by Honeywell and Japan’s Denso. Propulsion comes in the form of 36 electric ducted fans embedded in the aircraft’s fixed wings. The unique configuration sacrifices hover efficiency for improved cruise efficiency and lower noise.

Lilium began building its flagship aircraft in December with the delivery of seven fuselages to its manufacturing facility, ramping up production in February with the installation of a serial production line for the Jet’s propulsion systems.

These components and others will be assembled into seven aircraft, which the company intends to use for piloted flight testing and, later, for-credit evaluations with EASA. It hopes to achieve type certification in 2025 ahead of a planned commercial launch in 2026.

In February, Lilium designated Orlando International Airport (KMCO) as the hub for its U.S. operations in Florida.

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