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- Lilium Jet to take flight in the French Riviera in 2026 to Take Flight in the French Riviera in 2026 – Lilium
Lilium Jet to take flight in the French Riviera in 2026 to Take Flight in the French Riviera in 2026 – Lilium
Lilium N.V. an all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet developer, along with UrbanV, an Italian vertiport network operator, and Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (ACA), which manages Nice Côte d’Azur airport and other French airports, have announced plans to introduce Lilium Jet flights to the South of France starting in 2026. The new network will connect the French Riviera with key destinations throughout Southern France including Monaco, Nice, Cannes, Golfe de Saint-Tropez, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille.
The partnership between Lilium, ACA, and UrbanV aims to develop a large part of this network, leveraging strong local ecosystem support in the South of France. This collaboration is the first of its kind in the region and aims to establish and operate eVTOLs between a network of vertiports including Nice Côte d’Azur airport, Cannes Mandelieu airport, Golfe de Saint-Tropez airport, and other locations under consideration.
Lilium is also in ongoing discussions with potential local partners for the creation of additional vertiports in Sophia Antipolis, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille, expected to be concluded by the end of the year. Furthermore, Lilium is in talks with several operators interested in purchasing the Lilium Jet and operating the network to create a sustainable, time-saving experience for their passengers.
The Côte d’Azur region, a vital transportation hub attracting over 11 million tourists annually, is committed to environmental sustainability. Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur has committed to achieve carbon neutrality without offsetting its own emissions from 2030. The Lilium Jet, with its expected VTOL capability, low noise, and zero operating emissions, will be a key mode of regional transportation to help achieve this goal. UrbanV’s vertiports will support this commitment to emissions neutrality, developing sustainable ground infrastructure for eVTOLs.
Once operational, the regional network will connect highly frequented destinations with fast, safe, and sustainable travel for passengers, significantly reducing travel time compared to car journeys.
Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Board, Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, said: “This collaboration with Lilium together with our subsidiary UrbanV marks an important step in the transformation and decarbonization of regional air mobility. Our territory offers a unique opportunity to fly over the sea to directly connect the main economic, cultural or tourist destinations. A complementary alternative to the helicopter, the eVTOL has its place in the air transport offered from Nice Côte d’Azur, laboratory of the airport of tomorrow, second platform in France and gateway to and exit from a landlocked territory.”
Carlo Tursi, CEO at UrbanV, said: “At UrbanV, we aim to improve people’s lives by enabling a fast, efficient, safe, and clean alternative to existing transport solutions for people and goods over short distances, by air. We have the ambition to become a major global operator of vertiport networks and we will be global pioneers in establishing some of the first AAM routes worldwide. We are excited to partner with Lilium and Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, two global leaders in their respective fields, and we look forward to exploring together with them the great potential of introducing advanced air mobility in the French Riviera.”
Sebastien Borel, CCO of Lilium, said: “As a truly European company based in Munich, Germany, with flight testing in Spain and with nascent roots in France, Lilium is extremely proud to be able to assist in the creation of the first regional eVTOL network in the South of France and the first commercially viable network in the EU. We see an enormous potential in this region and cannot wait to see our Lilium Jet fly there soon.”