Lilium Juggles Flight-Test Plans To Make Up For Supplier Delays

FARNBOROUGH—The shift of the Lilium Jet’s first flight into early 2025 is linked to some of the company’s key suppliers missing out on European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) software validation requirements, according to Lilium CEO Klaus Roewe.

Some of the Lilium partners assumed the EASA validation was only necessary for certification, yet it is actually needed before first flight, Roewe said on the sidelines of the Farnborough Airshow July 24. What looked like a delay that initially looked like it would last several months has now been reduced after the suppliers added resources to reduce the impact. Lilium is planning to fly the aircraft in the first quarter of next year as opposed to the earlier schedule that presumed a first flight at the end of this year. Roewe declined to name the suppliers at fault.

Lilium plans to make up for the schedule slip by rearranging the test program. First flight will still take place in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, and the flight-test campaign is now planned to continue at the site near Munich at least through the fall of next year. The company had earlier planned to move testing to its facility in Andalusia, Spain. Testing in the winter of 2025-26 could still move there. The company is sticking to its target of delivering the first aircraft in 2026.

A big order from Saudia Group for up to 100 aircraft will help the company with funding as pre-delivery payments kick in before first delivery, but Lilium will still need additional financing before first flight. Due diligence required ahead of a Bavarian government decision on a €50 million ($54 million) loan guarantee has been completed. Roewe said he hopes the government will make its call before the summer break. If the state approves the support, the federal government will double the guarantee to €100 million.

In May, Lilium had collected $114 million from existing and strategic investors as an interim step. According to Roewe, some of the investors have indicated they will up their investment further should Lilium get the government guarantee.

A decision on French government support is further off and is not expected until the spring of 2025. Lilium is running a competition between various regions on the site of a major production facility. Roewe said the French support package would be significantly larger than the German guarantees, should it go through.