More investments in regional aviation are coming to Houston — along with new technology.
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) on Sept. 26 welcomed its first fully electric jet, the Lilium Jet designed by Germany-based Lilium NV (Nasdaq: LILM). Capable of vertical takeoff and landing, or VTOL, the jet will service multiple regional Houston airports.
However, the Lilium Jet is not quite ready to take to the skies. Lilium expects the jet's first piloted flight to be in early 2025, pending regulatory approval.
Houston-based Emcjet, a full-service aircraft brokerage and management company, partnered with Galaxy FBO, a fixed-base operation that began operating at Hobby Airport in 2020, to bring the Lilium Jet to Houston. Galaxy offers a two-story, 23,000-square-foot terminal flanked by a pair of 38,000-square-foot hangars for corporate jets, military and medical aircraft, and helicopters.
“We are excited to transform Galaxy FBO into a cutting-edge hub for the eVTOL innovation,” Galaxy FBO CEO Jeremy Gee said in a statement. “As the future of electric aviation takes flight, this marks a significant step in making Houston a leader in sustainable and efficient transportation solutions. Our team is proud to support Lilium's revolutionary mode of travel that will connect Greater Houston in ways never thought possible."
Emcjet is the exclusive Lilium dealer in Texas through 2030 for private sales. It secured five production slots for the Lilium Jet and had three commitments for the jet as of last October.
The jet’s initial operating range of 110 miles will allow it to connect to various regional airports including Easterwood Airport in College Station, Scholes International Airport in Galveston, Ellington Airport and the nearby Houston Spaceport, Conroe North Houston Regional Airport, and The Woodlands Heliport.
The Lilium Jet is not fully certified by the Federal Aviation Administration yet, but the company expects it to receive that certification by 2025 in parallel with certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Lilium received a G-1 certification from the FAA in 2023, which is an initial permitting step that must take place before full certification.
“Lilium is serious about expanding in the U.S. and actively progressing towards FAA validation," Matthew Broffman, Lilium's vice president of commercial in the Americas, said in a statement. "As part of our commitment to working with communities across the U.S. and expanding our customer base, we’re excited to showcase our aircraft for the first time in Houston, a city with a proud legacy of aerospace innovation in America.”
According to financial documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Lilium has not yet made a profit. The company had approximately $124 million of cash on hand as of June 2024. Lilium went public through a special purpose acquisition merger, or SPAC deal, in 2021.
Houston’s regional airports have caught the attention of other companies looking to fill a need to travel between them quickly. Earlier this year, Wisk Aero, a subsidiary of The Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA), signed a partnership agreement with the city of Sugar Land and a memorandum of understanding with the Houston Airport System to build out vertiport infrastructure.
Like the Lilium Jet, Wisk uses eVTOL aircraft in its fleet, but its “flying taxis” are autonomous. The company expects to be in service by the end of the decade, but like Lilium, it has not yet acquired FAA certification.
The addition of new aircraft comes amid the backdrop of expansions at Houston’s largest airports. Both Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) have infrastructure projects either under development or in the pipeline, and both airports have launched new initiatives to improve the traveler experience.
