SINGAPORE—PhilJets, a regional private and commercial operator in the Philippines, has signed a strategic collaboration deal with electric vertical take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) developer Lilium to set up a high-speed regional air mobility service in Southeast Asia.
The agreement, which was signed at the Singapore Airshow here, covers an intent to purchase 10 aircraft as well as collaboration on the setting up of eVTOL operations across the Philippines island chain, as well as other nations in the region including Cambodia. The study will include joint definition of routes, city pairs and estimating passenger demand for an on-demand eVTOL service in the region.
Lilium adds that the two companies will also identify “potential sites, requirements and partners for landing infrastructure, including the identification of vertiport partners in the region, sharing vertiport specifications and access to Lilium’s existing network of charging hardware providers.” PhilJets currently operates a fleet of 15 corporate jets and helicopters.
The PhilJets deal emerges as Lilium continues assembly of the first production-conforming aircraft, following the arrival of the first fuselage in early December at its facility in Wessling, Germany. The structure, which was manufactured in Spain by Aciturri and Aernnova, is being mated with the Lilium Jet’s canards and main wings and is expected to be fully complete by the middle of the year.
The first seven aircraft to be produced will be used as a part of piloted, for-credit flight testing with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, which is expected to begin late next year.