Take off regional air mobility advanced In the Northern Italy and in Lombardy through an innovative network of vertiportwhich will be realized in partnership from Liliuma leading manufacturer of electric aircraft and a pioneer in the industry, Sea Milan Airportsthe management company of the Milan airports and Skyports Infrastructureleader in vertiport infrastructure. Project that starts with the signing in Farnborough, UK, of a Memorandum of Understandingg which lays the foundation for development by 2027 of the vertiports for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) operated with the Lily Jet. Lombardy is in fact a strategically important location because it hosts almost a fifth of the Italian population and with over 37 million annual visitors, advanced air mobility will complete and integrate existing mobility solutions, offering faster, lower-emission journeys between major locations.
Sea will contribute by providing its own airport management capacity and deep knowledge of the region’s aviation ecosystem and infrastructure. Skyports will provide his experience leader in the eVTOL sector and will work closely with Sea for the operation of the vertiports. Lilium will bring its aircraft expertise and its innovative Lilium Jet, designed to offer industry-leading cargo capacity, with the longest operational autonomy at maximum speed, the minimum noise and zero operational emissionsor.
The agreement provides for the route development of regional air mobility serving the main locations in Lombardy. The first route will connect the airport of Milan Malpensa – the largest international airport in Northern Italy, which counted over 26 million passengers last year – and the center of Milan then other attractive routes will be created for both Liliun Jet and other aircraft and VTOL improving accessibility and connectivity facilitating the rapid and efficient movement of people putting online some of the first premium eVTOL flights in Europe.
For the development and operation of vertiports in Lombardy and Italy, Sea, Skyports and their shareholder 2nd Airports are establishing a joint venture company. Another key enabling factor for the entire project is the strong partnership with Enacthe Italian Civil Aviation Authority which recently published a comprehensive national regulation – the first in Europe – for VTOL aircraft, positioning Italy as a leader on the continent.
“As we continue to collaborate with key partners globally, with strong expertise in key markets, this partnership will help unlock new potential for regional air transport infrastructure in Northern Italy supporting our vision of pioneering a new era of regional air mobility in Europe with the electrification of premium tourism routes in the region,” explains Sébastien BorelChief commercial officer of Lilium. “This partnership with Lilium, one of the leading manufacturers in this emerging sector, and Skyports, already our partner – underlines Armando BruniniCEO of Sea Milan Airport – further consolidates the prospects for the development of advanced air mobility in Lombardy”.
“We are bringing together key partners to introduce regional air mobility services. With significant support from aviation and infrastructure stakeholders, including our investor 2i Aeroporti, this partnership demonstrates Italy’s readiness to launch the next generation of aviation,” he added. Duncan WalkerCeo di Skyports -. We have been working with our partners at Sea for some time and we are excited to prepare to open the doors of our vertiports and see eVTOL aircraft flying over Lombardy”.
Lilium is creating a sustainable and accessible way of high-speed regional transportation for people and cargo. Using the Lilium Jet, an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft designed to deliver industry-leading capacity, low noise and high performance with zero operating emissions, Lilium is accelerating the decarbonization of air transportation. Working with leaders in the aerospace, technology and infrastructure sectors, and with announced sales and expressions of interest in Europe, the United States, China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lilium’s team of more than 1,000 includes approximately 500 aerospace engineers and a leadership team responsible for building some of the most successful aircraft in aviation history. Founded in 2015, Lilium’s headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Munich, Germany, with teams based throughout Europe and the United States.
Skyports Infrastructure is the leading enabler of advanced air mobility, designs, builds and operates take-off and landing infrastructure for air taxis and partners with manufacturers of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger and cargo vehicles around the world to enable safe, sustainable and efficient flight operations in urban and suburban environments.
The Sea Groupmanages the Malpensa and Linate airports, ranked among the top ten airport systems in Europe by traffic volume, both in the passenger and cargo segments.
2nd Airports is the holding company, controlled by F2i-Terzo Fondo per le Infrastrutture (51%) and by a consortium led by Ardian with Credit Agricole Assurance (49%), which owns the main Italian airport network, with approximately 63 million passengers in 2023 and a market share of 32%. Its portfolio includes approximately 36% of Sea, the majority of the airport companies of Naples, Turin and Trieste and a minority stake in Bologna airport and Skyports.