Lilium Partners with Lufthansa Aviation Training for Pilot Recruitment for Lilium Jet

Lilium, a German-based air taxi developer and leader in aerial mobility and eVTOL technologies, has selected Lufthansa Aviation Training to partner on the development of a pilot sourcing and training program for its Lilium Jet.

With the expected advent of commercially available eVTOL platform services over the next few years, pilots will need to become familiar with the new mode of transportation and achieve type ratings as required by regulatory agencies, such as the EASA and FAA. The first phase of the training program will award pilots the type rating required to fly the Lilium Jet. Notably, the program will also employ the use of mixed and virtual reality technologies, paving the way for pilot training worldwide.

Commenting on the partnership, Remo Gerber, Chief Operating Officer, Lilium said: “Opening a new professional segment for pilots of the future is a challenge we have long been excited to undertake and Lufthansa Aviation Training is the perfect partner. Their insights, experience and dedication to forward-thinking training concepts ensure that our pilots will be selected and trained to the highest caliber, an industry standard which we will establish through this partnership.”

Lufthansa Aviation Training will provide expertise into the training and development of competencies necessary to fulfill the need for a new field of piloting, complementing Lilium’s own expertise in eVTOLs and the regional air mobility service it is building. The training program will be the first of its kind globally and a significant milestone on Lilium’s road to launch. Lufthansa Aviation Training has almost 200 training devices within its training fleet, including aircraft for pilot training, flight simulators of all common aircraft types for pilot training and emergency and service mock-ups for the training of flight attendants.

Lufthansa Aviation Training already provides services to produce commercial pilots across Europe and looks to add eVTOL type ratings in the future.

Discussing the partnership further, Tiziana Heilig, Managing Director and CFO, LAT said: “We are thrilled to be working with Lilium to create a training setup, which is unlike any seen before. As one of the leaders in this vibrant sector, we look forward to this cooperation to share each other’s wealth of knowledge to provide an unparalleled aviation training experience.”

Lilium has stated it is developing this program with input from EASA and the FAA. This will ensure the training program will produce pilots capable of operating the Lilium jet in two key global markets necessary to become a commercial success.

Why it matters: Lilium has created a robust solution to aerial mobility with its design and prototype building of the Lilium Jet. The company has also secured over $375M in funding, in addition to key industry and regulatory partnerships. This latest addition will pave the way to Lilium finding commercial success in this new industry as it tackles the hurdle of producing pilots to operate their prototype.

Source: Lilium Press Release