Flying taxis are set to debut in the skies over Lombardy and Northern Italy in 2027.
Lombardy get over 37 million annual visitors
Thanks to the signing of an mou between Lilium, a leading manufacturer of electric aircraft and pioneer of Regional Air Mobility, Sea Milan Airports and Skyports Infrastructure which is specialized in vertiport infrastructure for the regional air mobility industry. The agreement, reached at the Farnborough International Airshow, lays the foundation for the development of a network of vertiports for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVtol) aircraft. Lombardy in particular is a strategically important location for the partners: almost one fifth of Italy's population resides here and with over 37 million annual visitors, air mobility will complement and supplement the region's existing mobility solutions, offering faster and lower-emission travel between major locations.
The first route will be from Malpensa Airport to Milan
The network of vertiports operated with Lilium Jet will be operational by 2027, with a series of regional air mobility routes serving the main locations in Lombardy: the first will connect Milan Malpensa Airport - which handled more than 26 million passengers last year - and the centre of Milan. For the development and operation of the vertiports in Lombardy and Italy, Sea, Skyports and their shareholder 2i Aeroporti are setting up a joint venture company.
The air taxis will carry from 2 to 7 passengers
The air taxi developed by Lilium - awaiting approval for operations by Easa (in Europe) and Faa (in the USA) - is capable of carrying from 2 to 7 people, can reach speeds of 300 kilometres per hour and cover distances of up to 190 kilometres. It has received 796 orders, including the 100 requested in recent days by the Arab carrier Saudia. In Lombardy, the first route that will be inaugurated after the necessary authorizations and will connect Milan's Malpensa airport with the centre of Milan.
An estimated 2,000 passengers daily in 2030
‘In 2030 we estimate around 2,000 passengers carried by flying taxis every day in the area,2 Sea's CEO Armando Brunini said recently. To build the first four vertiports, investments of just over €30 million are planned. In 2030, turnover is expected to be around €13 million with a profit of around €2 million. “As we continue to collaborate with key global partners with strong expertise in key markets this partnership will help unlock new potential for regional air transport infrastructure in Northern Italy,- said Sebastien Borel, CCO Lilium. -This partnership will support our vision of pioneering a new era of regional air mobility in Europe with the electrification of premium tourist routes in the region.”
