AZUL PARTNERSHIPS VIDEO (WITH DAVID NEELEMAN ) TRANSCRIPT 01/08/2021 DURATION: 02:46
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DAVID NEELEMAN
FOUNDER OF AZUL
WESTJET & JETBLUE
DAVID NEELEMAN
Hi. I’m David Neeleman.
We are so proud to be announcing an order of 220 Lilium aircraft today.
I’m the founder of many airlines. My first airline was Morris Air in Salt Lake, I went to Canada and started…helped to found WestJet, then went to New York and founded Jet Blue airways, and then had the great opportunity to return to the country of my birth to found Azul Brazilian airlines.
Brazil is a unique place. It’s the second largest helicopter market in the world. Nobody knows Brazil better than we do. One of the strengths of our company is our schedule planning operation, and looking at markets and creating markets…you know, because 70% of our routes, we have no non-stop competition. It was very easy for us to quickly identify markets where we could put 250 of these airplanes. We think that number could even go to a 1000 or more. So we’re very excited about the Lilium aircraft, and that’s what we’re making, announcing this order today.
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TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR
Little known fact about me: I’m petrified of helicopters. But I understand the convenience that a helicopter can bring to someone’s life. The people that can afford to go by helicopters, go by helicopters. By having an aircraft like Lilium has, with a fraction of the cost of a helicopter..with much more safety, we think we can expand this market. We think the market can be 10, or 20 or 30 times bigger than it is today…or even more.
Being able to kind of fly between two points where you have congested traffic, or where you have lack of infrastructure, or maybe there’s even the safety of being on a highway at night, is really critically important to the cities where we serve.
We have 118 cities. We fly 1000 flights a day. Nobody flies more cities or more flights in Brazil than we do, and so we went on a search, and we investigated all the different companies…Lilium really stood out for lots of reasons…uhm, you know the range of the aircraft, the size of the aircraft, the number of people that we could carry, you know the speed, and the safety. You know, having 36 little jet engines, is really critically important.
And then, meeting Daniel and his team…I see that they’re entrepreneurial, that they had experience. Our team at Azul has worked really closely with them. But in addition, I’ve known Tom Enders for a long, long time…when he was the CEO of Airbus. I have a lot of confidence in him…um, others that are on the board, we have a lot of confidence in them as well. So it’s not just the management team, but it’s the board that has, you know, let us know that they’re in it for the long haul. And you know, the amount to of capital that’s been raised…this is a great story, and the investors have a lot of confidence in it.
Our customers are going to love it…I’m going to love it! Because I’m going to love flying from Sao Paulo and not having to be in traffic for 2 and a half/3 hours and make it in 15 minutes, so we’re very excited about it.
Forward-Looking Statements
This document 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 document, 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 or Azul’s businesses or the business combination between Lilium and Qell; (v) the Lilium Group’s 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 outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Qell or the Lilium Group related to the proposed business combination; (x) 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; (xi) 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; (xii) that the final terms of any commercial transaction and strategic alliance with Azul may differ, including materially, from the terms currently anticipated; (xiii) the revenue derived from the planned Brazilian network may be less than currently anticipated; and (xiv) 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, the “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. Qell urges its investors, shareholders and other interested persons to read, when available, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus filed with the SEC and documents incorporated by reference therein because these documents will contain important information about Qell, Lilium and the business combination. After the Registration Statement is declared effective, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be included in the Registration Statement will be mailed to shareholders of Qell as of a record date to be established for voting on 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 preliminary and definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be 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.
No Offer or Solicitation
This document shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the business combination. This document shall also not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.