Lilium is apparently looking for a better location for its e-jets

The Bavarian electric aircraft startup Lilium is considering moving out of Germany. According to a report by the "Handelsblatt," the management is negotiating with the French government over subsidies and loan guarantees for a location in France. Lilium supervisory board chairman and former Airbus CEO Tom Enders is traveling to China and the USA in September to seek investors. A company spokesperson did not comment on this. 

Pioneer Hoped for Loan from the Federal Government

The pioneering company in the south of Munich had long hoped for a 100-million-euro loan from the federal and state governments as a start-up aid. Lilium employs around 500 aerospace engineers.

The manned first flight of the fully electric, vertically taking off and landing air taxi was just postponed to early 2025, with the first machines expected to be delivered to customers in 2026.

But that costs a lot of money initially; alone in the first half of 2024, around 200 million euros were spent. So far, the startup company listed on the US stock exchange Nasdaq has been financed by around 70 investors.