Ambitious Air Mobility Group (AAMG), the Dutch investor seeking to acquire German air taxi developer Lilium, is already mapping out plans for new products and business areas, including defence, logistics, and autonomous flight, even as its purchase of the insolvent company is not yet finalised.
AAMG executives told German newspaper Handelsblatt that they want to advance Lilium’s seven-seater electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft towards autonomous operation. “We are talking about freight transport, but that also brings defence into play,” said AAMG executive Daniel Hayes, adding that the company would establish a military division similar to U.S. rival Archer.
The transaction remains incomplete, with insolvency administrator Ivo-Meinert Willrodt of Pluta stating that conditions for signing the purchase agreement have not yet been met. AAMG CEO Robert Kamp said his firm had “agreed to the price demanded by the insolvency administrator and acted responsibly at every stage,” insisting that its goal was “not a break-up, but a revival.”
German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche reported the acquisition price at about 20 million euros, with creditors set to receive the proceeds. AAMG has pledged an initial investment of 250 million euros and access to an additional 500 million euros in follow-on funding. Plans include a reduced workforce of around 300 staff, compared with Lilium’s previous 1,100 employees, and potential outsourcing of aircraft production to a partner in Japan, while research and development would remain in Germany.
Lilium, based near Munich, has filed for insolvency twice, leaving behind unpaid supplier bills and cancelled orders. Under AAMG’s plan, the company would seek revenues from a wider programme of aircraft while continuing to pursue passenger services in the longer term.