Lilium has pushed back the projected timeline to achieve type certification of its seven-seat Lilium Jet eVTOL by 12 or more months, to 2025. The public company confirmed the delay to investors via a 20-F filing late last week with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

On Thursday, Lilium founder and CEO Daniel Wiegand reported that the Germany-based company will now start building the first production-conforming aircraft for the EASA type certification process in 2023. “We will then spend the following 15 to 18 months running our final test campaign with the aim of receiving our initial type certification in 2025, with scale production of our aircraft set to begin immediately upon type certification,” he said.

Lilium previously was working toward a goal of getting approval for the all-electric aircraft and being ready to start commercial operations in 2024. Wiegand indicated that the decision to delay is based on “the current status of design activities to develop the safest possible aircraft, our discussions with regulators, and…the continued supply chain disruption.”

Following a preliminary design review, Lilium said in late February that it is reducing the number of electric ducted fans for the Lilium Jet from 36 to 30. According to the company, this change was made possible by using a slightly larger and more powerful engine design. The move will reduce parts count, weight, and system complexity, it added.

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