{{Short description|Proposed British regional airline}} {{About|the failed British start-up airline|the South American airline|EcoJet (airline)|the proposed Russian wide-body airliner design|Frigate Ecojet}} {{Third-party|date=July 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox airline | airline = Ecojet Airlines | logo = Logo Ecojet Air (UK) 2025.png | image = | IATA = ZC | ICAO = | callsign = | founded = 27 August 2021 (as Fresh Airlines Limited) | bases = Edinburgh Airport | parent = Ecotricity | headquarters = Edinburgh, Scotland | key_people = Brent Smith | founder = Dale Vince | num_employees = | website = https://www.ecojetair.com/ | image2 = | caption2 = }}
'''Ecojet Airlines Limited,''' styled as '''ecojet''', was a proposed British regional airline based at Edinburgh Airport, Scotland. It originally aimed to commence operations in 2024 with flights to and from Edinburgh Airport.
On 14 January 2026, provisional liquidators were appointed following a winding-up order against the company. Joint liquidators were subsequently appointed in May 2026.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Dominic |title=Liquidation looms for Ecojet as green airline fails to get off the ground |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/air-transport/liquidation-looms-for-ecojet-as-green-airline-fails-to-get-off-the-ground/166038.article |access-date=2026-01-28 |website=Flight Global}}</ref>
== History == === Founding === On 17 July 2023, reports emerged that Dale Vince, the founder of Ecotricity and a prominent climate change activist, had formed a new company<ref name="Companies House">{{cite web |title=Ecojet Airlines Limited overview |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC707997 |access-date=20 July 2023 |work=Companies House}}</ref> by the name of Ecojet, which planned to become the world's first electric airline using a fleet of aircraft powered by renewable energy. The airline had appointed Brent Smith, a former Flybe pilot and the founder of Q400 specialist Altsel Aviation, as its Chief Executive<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ecojet: Dale Vince launches an aviation revolution |url=https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/our-news/2023/ecojet-dale-vince-launches-an-aviation-revolution |access-date=20 July 2023 |work=Ecotricity}}</ref> alongside Peter Davies,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Cianan |date=20 July 2023 |title=Green energy advocate plans new UK regional airline, appoints former Air Southwest CEO |url=https://www.freshaviation.co.uk/ecojet-appoints-air-southwest-ceo/ |access-date=20 July 2023 |website=Fresh Aviation }}</ref> the former Chief Executive of companies including Brussels Airlines, Air Malta, and Air Southwest,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Experience {{!}} Peter Davies FRAeS |work=LinkedIn |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/airlinemanagementgroup/details/experience/}}</ref> who is also the founder and CEO of Airline Management Group, as its chairman.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://airline-management.com/about-us/ |access-date=20 July 2023 |work=Airline Management Group}}</ref>
Ecojet Airlines Limited was founded on 27 August 2021 as Fresh Airlines Limited, and this name was changed on 2 May 2023 following Dale Vince's appointment as a director.<ref name="Companies House" />
On 26 January 2024, Ecojet began hiring for crew based in Edinburgh, to operate a fleet of ATR 72 airliners.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Cianan |date=26 January 2024 |title=Ecojet begins hiring and confirms ATR 72 fleet |url=https://www.freshaviation.co.uk/ecojet-begins-hiring-and-confirms-atr-72-fleet/ |access-date=27 January 2024 |website=Fresh Aviation }}</ref> The same month, the airline made a CAMO application to the UK's Civil Aviation Authority.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Cianan |date=9 March 2024 |title=Ecojet appoints Chief Operating Officer ahead of summer launch |url=https://www.freshaviation.co.uk/ecojet-appoints-chief-operating-officer-ahead-of-summer-launch/ |access-date=28 March 2024 |website=Fresh Aviation }}</ref>
On 23 September 2024, the airline announced that its operations are now slated to begin in early 2025, with CEO Brent Smith saying that, "It's taking time because we want to get it right from the very outset." At the time, the airline expected details of its IATA designator codes and callsign to be confirmed shortly.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=Perry |first=Dominic |date=23 September 2024 |title=Ecojet delays launch until 2025 but insists it is building for the long term |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/air-transport/ecojet-delays-launch-until-2025-but-insists-it-is-building-for-the-long-term/159913.article |access-date=24 September 2024 |website=Flight Global }}</ref>
In October 2024, Ecotricity took over Vince's shareholding in Ecojet.
On 13 November 2024, Ecojet appointed Wyvern Partners as its financial advisor in order to lead a £20 million fundraising effort in order to satisfy CAA capital requirements for the AOC application process.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Labour donor Vince takes flight with £20m Ecojet fundraising |url=https://news.sky.com/story/top-labour-donor-vince-takes-flight-with-20m-ecojet-fundraising-13253071 |access-date=14 November 2024 |website=Sky News}}</ref>
=== Launch of operations === In January 2025, the airline published its website in preparation for an operational launch during the IATA 2025 summer season.{{Cn|date=January 2025}} This launch did not happen.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Dominic |title=Ecojet accounts show continued spending but little progress towards operational launch |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/air-transport/ecojet-accounts-show-continued-spending-but-little-progress-towards-operational-launch/164220.article |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=Flight Global}}</ref>
=== Redundancies and fundraising difficulties === In January 2025, Ecojet made 11 of its 13 employees redundant amid delays to its AOC fundraising process.
A spokesperson for the airline told The Daily Telegraph that it had further delayed its launch until 2026 owing to a 'tough investment market', saying that the redundancies were in order to 'reduce overheads to a minimum'.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barr |first=Luke |last2=Jasper |first2=Christopher |date=2025-08-31 |title=Dale Vince's net zero airline in disarray after sacking almost entire workforce |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/08/31/dale-vince-net-zero-airline-disarray-sacking-workforce/ |access-date=2025-09-02 |work=The Telegraph |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>
=== Management team === On 9 December 2023, it was reported that Ecojet had made further appointments to its management team.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Cianan |date=9 December 2023 |title=Ecojet makes further board appointments in run-up to launch |url=https://www.freshaviation.co.uk/ecojet-board-appointments/ |access-date=10 December 2023 |website=Fresh Aviation }}</ref> These appointments included Brent Smith as its chief executive officer, Deon van Rensburg as its head of finance, Ben Leon as its chief commercial officer and Augusto Ponte as an advisor to the board of directors.
On 8 March 2024, Ecojet confirmed the appointment of Rebecca Borresen as its chief operating officer, though she would later resign in favour of a position at Loganair.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Cianan |date=9 March 2024 |title=Ecojet appoints Chief Operating Officer ahead of summer launch |url=https://www.freshaviation.co.uk/ecojet-appoints-chief-operating-officer-ahead-of-summer-launch/ |access-date=16 March 2024 |website=Fresh Aviation }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Loganair appoints new Director of Safety and Sustainability |url=https://www.loganair.co.uk/news/loganair-appoints-new-director-of-safety-and-sustainability/ |access-date=2026-04-15 |work=Loganair}}</ref>
=== Proposed operations === The airline said that it hoped to eliminate single-use plastics from its services, and that it would also serve plant-based meals and provide crew with sustainable uniforms. Whilst initially it was to use traditional kerosene-fuelled aircraft, it planned to shift to electric aircraft once it had begun operations and received its operating licences and airport slots.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leimbach |first=Sydney |date=19 July 2023 |title=Ecojet, UK's First Electric Airline to Launch in 2024 |url=https://www.environmentalleader.com/2023/07/ecojet-uks-first-electric-airline-to-launch-in-2024/ |access-date=20 July 2023 |website=Environment+Energy Leader }}</ref> Alongside fixed-wing operations, it also planned to utilise a fleet of eVTOL aircraft on intercity routes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Le Marquand |first=Yves |title=ARC Aerosystems and Ecojet agree deal for up to 50 aircraft |url=https://www.revolution.aero/news/2024/07/30/arc-aerosystems-and-ecojet-agree-deal-for-up-to-50-aircraft/ |access-date=15 January 2025 |website=Revolution.aero }}</ref>
=== Brand imaging === The airline's livery was based on a stylised rendition of the flag of the United Kingdom. As such, its aircraft were to carry the tagline "Flag Carrier for Green Britain",<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lawson |first=Alex |date=16 July 2023 |title=Green energy tycoon to launch UK's first electric airline |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jul/17/green-energy-tycoon-to-launch-uk-first-electric-airline |access-date=20 July 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> with this also being a reference to the Green Britain Group, a company founded by Dale Vince which has shareholdings in ventures such as Ecotricity. The airline's slogan was "Another way."
In January 2025 the airline began using "Same altitude, new attitude" as a secondary slogan.{{Cn|date=January 2025}}
== Liquidation == On 14 January 2026, Paul Dounis and Mark Harper from Opus Restructuring & Insolvency were appointed as provisional liquidators of Ecojet Airlines Limited.
In a statement to industry outlet FlightGlobal, Dale Vince said that "It's taking longer than we hoped to get the technology and regulatory pieces of the puzzle in alignment, and so we're pausing work at this time."
In May 2026, Dounis and Harper became joint liquidators of Ecojet following the conclusion of their earlier appointment as provisional liquidators.
== Fleet == Dale Vince originally claimed that Ecojet was to launch with the 19-seat Twin Otter aircraft before upscaling to a 70-seat airliner 18 months thereafter.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaminski-Morrow |date=17 July 2023 |first=David |title=Environmental airline start-up plans to retrofit turboprops with hydrogen-electric engines |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/airlines/environmental-airline-start-up-plans-to-retrofit-turboprops-with-hydrogen-electric-engines/154133.article |access-date=20 July 2023 |website=Flight Global }}</ref> However, in January 2024, the company began hiring for ATR 72 crew to begin operations before mid-2024, with this later being pushed back to 2025.
On 29 November 2023, Ecojet signed an agreement to acquire 70 hydrogen-electric powerplants from ZeroAvia,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harvey |first=Dave |date=29 November 2023 |title='Green airline' Ecojet buys 70 electric aircraft engines |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-67559550 |work=BBC News |access-date=10 December 2023}}</ref> on lease from MONTE.{{cn|date=July 2024}}
On 25 July 2024, Ecojet announced that it had signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to acquire up to 50 Linx P9 aircraft from ARC Aerosystems.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Cianan |date=26 July 2024 |title=Ecojet announces purchase agreement for up to 62 ZA2000 powertrains |url=https://www.freshaviation.co.uk/ecojet-announces-purchase-agreement-for-za2000-powertrains/ |access-date=29 July 2024 |website=Fresh Aviation }}</ref> The following day, ZeroAvia announced a further agreement with Ecojet for the purchase of 22 ZA2000 engines.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Holder |first=Michael |date=26 July 2024 |title=ZeroAvia inks deal to supply hydrogen-electric aircraft engines to Ecojet |url=https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4340357/zeroavia-inks-deal-supply-hydrogen-electric-aircraft-engines-ecojet |access-date=29 July 2024 |work=BusinessGreen}}</ref>
In November 2024 the airline announced that it had acquired "its first two ATR 72-600 aircraft."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Cianan |date=13 November 2024 |title=Ecojet Airlines initiates growth equity financing to complete regulatory approvals and start commercial operations |url=https://www.freshaviation.co.uk/ecojet-growth-financing-for-commercial-launch/ |access-date=14 November 2024 |website=Fresh Aviation }}</ref> When the airline entered provisional liquidation in January 2026, these aircraft had still not been delivered.
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:Proposed airlines of the United Kingdom Category:British companies established in 2021 Category:Airlines established in 2021 Category:British companies disestablished in 2026 Category:Airlines disestablished in 2026