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Saudi national airline Saudia announced on Wednesday that it had signed a deal with German air taxi company Lilium to buy a hundred planes.
With the purchase, Saudia intends to launch new point-to-point electrical connections as continuous power connections to Saudi Arabian hubs for business-class customers, the airline said in a statement.
Saudia also plans to include Lilium in the mandatory regulatory approval processes in Saudi Arabia for the certification of the Lilium jet.
With this, Saudia will be the first airline in the Middle East and North Africa region to expand the all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) network in the region. The agreement will also see Lilium gain a foothold in the region.
The agreement with Lilium will contribute to boosting sustainable tourism in Saudi zero-emission aviation, said Ibrahim S Koshy, CEO of Saudia.
“Saudia intends to fulfill an ongoing call for regional air mobility and offer its passengers an incredible onboard experience. The prospects for such an air transport network are limitless,” Koshy said.
Although a timeline for Saudia’s order has not been discussed, Lilium’s air taxi is expected to enter service in 2025, with production starting next year.
With orders of around $2 billion, Lilium has already signed deals with Brazilian airline Azul, personal jet company NetJets, as well as personal jet company Globeair.
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Tags: air taxis, blue airlines, weather change, jets, saudi arabia, saudi airlines, sustainability