There is a dispute in the FDP over the air taxi company Lilium. Transport Minister Wissing wants state support, his budget politician Schäffler now clearly contradicts this.
The FDP budget politician Frank Schäffler has clearly spoken out against federal financial support for the Bavarian air taxi company Lilium. “I think it’s wrong to help Lilium. There is no apparent federal interest in promoting air taxis,” the Bundestag member told the German Press Agency. Schäffler emphasized that the risk for the federal government was too high. “If Bavaria wants to accept this subsidy, then it should do it alone. There should be no speculation with federal tax money.”
Schäffler is the FDP’s responsible rapporteur in the Budget Committee for the Ministry of Transport’s budget. The budget committee must now decide on a possible federal guarantee of 50 million euros for the company. The Bavarian cabinet decided in September to support the air taxi company Lilium with a loan of 50 million euros. However, the condition was set that the federal government would also provide equivalent funding.
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) is considered a supporter of a federal guarantee for Lilium. Wissing sees “great potential in this form of air mobility,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of Transport on Monday. The minister advocates “meeting this with a willingness to act”. The budget committee of the Bundestag must decide.
The ministry had already declared in September that it welcomed the Bavarian cabinet’s decision. The ministry is now ready to take the necessary steps and to examine state support together with the Ministry of Finance at short notice. “We want to keep this key technology in German hands and prevent it from moving abroad.”
Founded in 2015, Lilium develops electric jets that can take off and land vertically. According to the company, the jet has a range of 250 kilometers and a cruising speed of 280 kilometers per hour.
In the spring, competitor Volocopter had already asked for loan guarantees of up to 100 million euros. The company, based in Baden-Württemberg, wanted to move its headquarters to Bavaria. The state government in Munich refused. Volocopter then warned of its own bankruptcy.