Lilium Becomes First eVTOL Manufacturer with FAA, EASA Certification Bases

The FAA has issued a G-1 Certification Basis for the German air taxi firm’s seven-seater Lilium Jet.

Monday, June 26, 2023 at 03:44 PM ET

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A 3D rendering depicts Lilium’s seven-seater air taxi soaring over the Hudson River near the Statue of Liberty. [Courtesy: Lilium]

Key Takeaways:

German eVTOL manufacturer Lilium has received the FAA G-1 certification basis for its seven-seater Lilium Jet, joining U.S. rivals Joby and Archer Aviation in the advanced stages of FAA approval.
The Lilium Jet is uniquely positioned as the only air taxi to hold certification bases from both the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), signifying a strategic pursuit of dual global market entry.
Lilium aims to launch global operations of its fixed-wing, cruise-optimized eVTOL by late 2025, despite facing the complexities of dual certification and recent financial challenges.

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For a few years now, American electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) manufacturers Joby and Archer Aviation have stood alone at the top of the FAA’s air taxi certification totem pole. Now, a German rival is joining them.

A few months after Archer’s Midnight and Joby’s JAS4-1 earned FAA G-1 certification bases, clearing a path to full certification for the firms’ flagship aircraft, Munich-based Lilium received one of its own Monday. With the watershed approval, the seven-seater Lilium Jet is now the only air taxi with certification bases from both the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).