Lilium will appoint David Neeleman to the Board of Directors, effective upon completion of Lilium’s business combination with Qell Acquisition Corp.
With nearly 30 years of experience in commercial aviation and as the founder of five airlines, including JetBlue Airways and Azul Brazilian Airlines, Neeleman brings significant expertise in building and scaling a mobility business across new markets. Neeleman currently serves as Chairman of Azul, which recently entered a strategic alliance with Lilium to transform high-speed regional transportation in Brazil.
“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” Neeleman states.
Neeleman 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, and Henri Courpron, Founder and Chairman of Plane View Partners, and former CEO of International Lease Finance Corporation and Airbus North America.
