Saudi Arabia Buy 50 Electric Airplanes From German Startup
Date
7/19/2024 3:11:42 PM
(MENAFN- AzerNews)
By Alimat ALiyeva
The national airline of Saudi Arabia will purchase 50 electric
airplanes from the German manufacturer Lilium NV. The Kingdom has
the opportunity to double the purchase of this sample of advanced
equipment for trips to tourist destinations,
Azernews reports.
On July 18, Saudi Arabia airlines and Lilium signed a mandatory
sale agreement in Gauting, Bavaria, Germany. Both sides have
already prepared a looser Memorandum of Understanding for the
supply of electric vertical landing aircraft, or eVTOL, by the end
of 2022.
Saudi Arabia plans to deploy electric aircraft in various areas.
These include the coastal city of Jeddah; eVTOL will transport
passengers to hotels in Mecca for religious tourism. The remaining
aircraft will be in the capital Riyadh and in the Red Sea, where
passenger transportation will be carried out as part of projects
being converted into jet airports and tourist facilities.
The purchase of the remaining aircraft depends on Lilium's
supply and support capabilities. Saudi Arabia plans to spend $800
billion on the tourism sector over the next decade as it aims to
receive 150 million tourists a year.
Lilium stated that this deal is the largest order of eVTOL
aircraft from the airline that plans to operate this aircraft.
The $7 million Lilium aircraft, which comes in a configuration with
four to six passengers and one pilot, looks more like a small plane
than a helicopter. It has two sets of wings and electric
turbines.
Lilium plans to deliver the first jet to Saudi Arabia in 2026.
Currently, the company is building the first full-scale copies of
the test aircraft awaiting certification. The first manned test
flights will take place early next year. Daniel Wiegand, co-founder
of the German company, said that the startup also plans to build a
factory in the Bordeaux region of France, where it will assemble
its aircraft. To do this, he wants to receive 250 million euros in
support from the French government.
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