The cooperation with Lilium Inks aims to enable eVTOL jet trips to the south of France

Lilium, the developer of eVTOL jets, has signed another key overseas partnership that will take its aerospace technology operations to the south of France and possibly other parts of Europe. The advanced air mobility startup is partnering with UrbanV from Italy, and Aeroports de la Côte d’Azur is working to roll out a network of airports on the French Riviera, which could be the first region in Europe to enable regional eVTOL travel.

Lilium ($LILM) is a Munich-based startup, founded in 2015, specializing in regional air mobility (RAM). The company continues to be at the center of our news as it continues to expand its presence in development teams across Europe and the United States.

In addition to growing its own aerospace engineering staff and regional offices, Lilium has continued to forge partnerships around the world to launch eVTOL jet operations now that its aerospace technology has received design authorization from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Last February, Lilium announced a partnership to bring its eVTOL operations to Asia, starting with the Philippines. Earlier this month, the startup won a firm order from UrbanLink to launch at least 20 eVTOL aircraft in and around South Florida.

Today, Lilium announced another eVTOL operational partnership, this time overseas in the south of France – a popular travel destination visited by 11 million tourists every year.

eVTOL jets will fly in France and beyond by 2026

According to details shared today by Lilium, it has entered into a new partnership with Italian airport network operator Vertiport UrbanV and Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (ACA), the agency responsible for managing Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, the second largest airport in France.

The new partners intend to jointly develop and deploy a network of vertiports in the south of France to support regional eVTOL jet travel to popular destinations including Monaco, Nice, Cannes, Golfe de Saint-Tropez, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. Franck Goldnadel, CEO of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, spoke about the potential of this new partnership:

The partnership with Lilium, together with our subsidiary UrbanV, represents an important step in the transformation and decarbonization of regional air mobility. Our territory offers a unique opportunity to fly over the sea to directly connect major economic, cultural and tourist destinations. As a complementary alternative to the helicopter, eVTOL has its place in the air transport offered from Nice on the French Riviera, the airport laboratory of the future, the second platform in France and the entry and exit gateway to the inland territory.

In addition to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, Lilium will help integrate eVTOL vertiports in other areas of France, such as Cannes Mandelieu Airport and Golfe de Saint-Tropez Airport. Additionally, other locations are being considered, including Sophia Antipolis, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.

The eVTOL startup says it is already in talks with several regional airline operators interested in purchasing fully electric jets to transport tourists through pending vertiports.

The French Riviera, better known as the Côte d’Azur region, has already committed to offsetting its emissions and achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. Lilium hopes that its eVTOL and insight into vertiport infrastructure can not only help reduce local emissions, but also provide faster and quieter air travel for tourists in France. Lilium CCO Sebastien Borel, on:

As a truly European company based in Munich, Germany, with flight testing in Spain and roots in France, Lilium is extremely proud to help establish the first regional eVTOL network in the south of France and the first commercially viable network in the EU . We see huge potential in this region and can’t wait to fly our Lilium Jet there soon!

eVTOL operations are expected to begin in the south of France sometime in 2026.