MUNICH and SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 1,
2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lilium GmbH ("Lilium"), positioned to
be a global leader in regional electric air mobility, announced the
expected appointment of David
Neeleman to the Board of Directors of Lilium N.V. to be
effective upon completion of Lilium's business combination with
Qell Acquisition Corp ("Qell") (NASDAQ: QELL).
With nearly 30 years of experience in commercial aviation and as
the founder of five airlines, including JetBlue Airways and Azul
Brazilian Airlines, David Neeleman
brings significant expertise in building and scaling a mobility
business across new markets. David currently serves as Chairman of
Azul, which recently entered a strategic alliance with Lilium to
transform high-speed regional transportation in Brazil.
Daniel Wiegand, Co-Founder and
CEO of Lilium said: "I'm delighted to welcome David to the future
Board of Directors of Lilium N.V. His decades of senior leadership
experience in aviation and entrepreneurship will be integral to our
Board as we prepare to launch our service in markets across the
world."
David Neeleman said: "As a serial
entrepreneur who has spent decades working in the aviation industry
and watching it grapple with the challenge of sustainability, it's
clear to me that Lilium has the right team, technology, and vision
to fundamentally transform how we travel. I'm excited to join this
accomplished team of Board members and help build a new kind of
network and service powered by electric flight."
David joins other recently announced appointees to the
post-combination Board, which is expected to be chaired by former
Airbus CEO Thomas Enders and include
Gabrielle Toledano, Chief Operating
Officer at Keystone Strategy LLC, and Henri Courpron, Founder and
Chairman of Plane View Partners, LLC and former CEO of
International Lease Finance Corporation and Airbus North
America.
About Lilium:
Lilium's vision is to create a sustainable and accessible mode
of high-speed, regional transportation. Using the 7-Seater Lilium
Jet, an electric vertical take-off and landing jet, offering
leading capacity, low noise and high performance, Lilium is
building a transport network and service for people and goods.
Working with aerospace, technology and infrastructure leaders,
commercial operations are projected to launch in 2024. Lilium's
650+ strong team includes approximately 400 aerospace engineers and
a leadership team responsible for delivering some of the most
successful aircraft in aviation history. Founded in 2015, Lilium's
headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Munich, Germany, with teams based across
Europe and the U.S. To learn more,
visit www.lilium.com.
On March 30, 2021, Lilium and Qell
Acquisition Corp. ("Qell"; NASDAQ: QELL.U, QELL and QELL.WS), a
publicly traded special purpose acquisition company with a
strategic focus on the next-generation mobility, transportation and
sustainable industrial technology sectors, announced they entered
into a business combination agreement. Upon the closing of the
transaction, which remains subject to customary closing conditions,
the combined company's shares of Class A common stock and
redeemable warrants are expected to be listed on The Nasdaq Stock
Market LLC under the ticker symbols "LILM" and "LILMW",
respectively.
Contact Information for Media:
Meredith Bell, Lilium
+41 79 432 57 79
meredith.bell@lilium.com
press@lilium.com
Contact Information for Investor Relations:
Björn
Scheib, Lilium
+49 176 417 57 335
Bjoern.scheib@lilium.com
Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, but
not limited to, statements regarding the proposed commercial deal
and strategic alliance with Azul, Lilium's, Qell's and Lilium
N.V.'s proposed business and business model, the markets and
industry in which Lilium, Qell and Lilium N.V. (collectively, the
"Lilium Group") intend to operate and the anticipated timing of the
commercialization and launch of the Lilium Group's business, and
comparable statements regarding Azul and its business model,
proposed business and future plans, in both cases including any
statements relating to the intended operation and anticipated
timing of the potential commercial arrangements between the Lilium
Group and Azul and the prospective launch of the possible eVTOL
network in Brazil, as well as the
appointment of Lilium N.V.'s directors. These forward-looking
statements generally are identified by the words "believe,"
"project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend,"
"strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should,"
"will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result,"
and similar expressions. Such statements are based on management's
belief or interpretation of information currently available.
Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other
statements about future events that are based on management's
current expectations with respect to future events and are based on
assumptions and subject to risk and uncertainties and subject to
change at any time. The Lilium Group and Azul both operate and will
continue to operate in a rapidly changing emerging industry. New
risks emerge every day. Given these risks and uncertainties, you
should not rely on or place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, including any statements regarding whether any
strategic alliance between the Lilium Group and Azul will be
effected, the number or price of Lilium jets to be acquired (or if
any such Lilium jets will be acquired at all) by Azul, the price to
be paid therefor and the timing of launch or manner in which any
proposed eVTOL network will operate in Brazil, if at all. Actual events or results
may differ materially from those contained in the projections or
forward-looking statements.
Many factors could cause actual future events to differ
materially from the forward-looking statements in this press
release, including, but not limited to, the following risks: (i)
the business combination with Qell may not be completed in a timely
manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of Qell's
securities; (ii) the business combination may not be completed by
Qell's business combination deadline and the potential failure to
obtain an extension of the business combination deadline if sought
by Qell; (iii) the parties' failure to satisfy the conditions to
the consummation of the business combination, such as Qell's
shareholders or Lilium's shareholders failing to adopt the business
combination agreement, failing to satisfy the minimum trust account
amount following redemptions by Qell's public shareholders or an
inability to secure necessary governmental and regulatory
approvals; (iv) the impact of COVID-19 on Lilium's business or
Azul's or the business combination between Lillium and Qell; (v)
the Lilium Group and/or Azul's ability to implement their
respective business plans, operating models, forecasts and other
expectations and identify and realize additional business
opportunities including, with respect to the Lilium Group, after
the completion of the proposed business combination with Qell; (vi)
the failure of the Lilium Group and its current and future business
partners to successfully develop and commercialize the Lilium
Group's business or significant delays in its ability to do so,
including any delays in the Lilium Group's ability to launch its
service on the timeline and at the locations anticipated or at all;
(vii) the Lilium Group's inability to secure or protect its
intellectual property; (viii) the effect of the announcement or
pendency of the proposed business combination on Lilium Group's
business relationships, performance and operations generally; (ix)
the number of holders that elect to redeem their shares in
connection with the closing of the Business Combination (x) the
outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against
Qell or the Lilium Group related to the proposed business
combination; (xi) that any anticipated plans may be impacted by any
developments in Brazil, the
Brazilian airline industry or in the development of international,
regional or local aircraft technology in Brazil, including as it relates to aircraft to
be used for any proposed eVTOL network in Brazil and general developments with respect
to Azul's business focus and current and future plans; (xii) Lilium
and Azul may fail to agree upon commercial terms for their
arrangement or fail to finalize and enter into definitive
documentation relating to the anticipated commercial transaction
and strategic alliance; (xiii) that the final terms of any
commercial transaction and strategic alliance with Azul may differ,
including materially, from the terms currently anticipated; (xiv)
the revenue derived from the planned Brazilian network may be less
than currently anticipated; and (xv) any failure of the Lilium
Group or Azul to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals to
operate any possible network in Brazil on the timeline and at the locations
anticipated or at all. The foregoing list of factors is not
exhaustive. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date
they are made. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on
forward-looking statements, and neither the Lilium Group nor Azul
assumes any obligation to, and neither the Lilium Group nor Azul
intends to update, or revise these forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
A further list and description of risks, uncertainties and other
matters with respect to the Lilium Group can be found in the
Registration Statement (as defined below), including those risks
outlined in "Risk Factors," and in subsequent U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings by the Lilium Group and, with
respect to Azul, can be found in the filings from time to time made
by it with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 20-F for
the year ended December 31, 2020 and
its periodic reports on Forms 6-K, all of which are available at
www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements attributable to the
Lilium Group, Azul or any person acting on behalf of any of
the foregoing are expressly qualified in their entirety by this
cautionary statement.
Important Information About the Business Combination and
Where to Find It
A full description of the terms of the business combination is
provided in the registration statement filed with the SEC by Lilium
B.V. (as amended from time to time, "Registration Statement"),
which will later be converted into a Netherlands public limited liability company
(naamloze vennootschap) ("Lilium N.V.") that includes a prospectus
with respect to Lilium N.V.'s securities to be issued in connection
with the business combination and a proxy statement with respect to
the shareholder meeting of Qell to vote on the business
combination. The Registration Statement was declared effective by
the SEC on August 9, 2021 and the
definitive proxy statement/prospectus has been mailed to Qell's
shareholders. Qell urges its investors, shareholders and other
interested persons to read the proxy statement/prospectus filed
with the SEC and documents incorporated by reference therein
because these documents contain important information about Qell,
Lilium and the business combination, including, among other things,
the reasons for Qell's Board of Directors' unanimous recommendation
that shareholders vote "FOR" the business combination and the other
shareholder proposals set forth therein as well as the background
of the process that led to the business combination. Shareholders
are able to obtain a copy of the Registration Statement, including
the proxy statement/prospectus, and other documents filed with the
SEC without charge by directing a request to: Qell,
info@qellspac.com. These documents will also be made available on
Qell's website. The proxy statement/prospectus included in the
Registration Statement may also be obtained, without charge, on the
SEC's website (www.sec.gov).
Participants in the Solicitation Process
Qell, Lilium, Lilium N.V. and their respective directors and
executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation
of proxies from Qell's stockholders with respect to the proposed
business combination. A list of the names of those directors and
executive officers and a description of their interests in Qell has
been filed in the Registration Statement, which includes the proxy
statement/prospectus, for the proposed business combination and is
available, without charge, at www.sec.gov.
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SOURCE Lilium