Ecotricity founder launches Ecojet zero emissions airline

Ecojet’s fleet will comprise conventional planes retrofitted with hydrogen-electric powertrains. Once converted, the aircraft will operate with the same power output as before with a one-hundred percent reduction in CO2 emissions.

According to Ecotricity, the decision to repurpose old planes instead of building new models will save 90,000 tonnes of carbon per year. The only by-product will be water, which the company said can be captured and released into the lower atmosphere.

Vince has partnered with pilot Brent Smith and a team of aviation specialists to set up Ecojet. Flights across the UK will commence in early 2024, starting with the Edinburgh to Southampton route, and expanding to mainland Europe shortly after, with long-haul flights planned for the future.

To secure routes and a license from the Civil Aviation Authority, Ecojet will initially launch using conventionally fuelled planes. Ecojet will launch with two different sizes of turboprop aircraft - a 19-seat aircraft and a 70-seat aircraft – that will be retrofitted with hydrogen-electric powertrains as they become approved for service by the CAA. The first retrofits will take place in 2025.

In a statement, Vince said: “The question of how to create sustainable air travel has plagued the green movement for decades, Ecojet is by far the most significant step towards a solution to date. The desire to travel is deeply etched into the human spirit, and flights free of CO2 emissions, powered by renewable energy will allow us to explore our incredible world without harming it for the first time.”

According to London-based Monte Aircraft Leasing, around 22,000 aircraft are currently suitable for retrofitting with electric/hybrid propulsion technology. More broadly, Visiongain estimates the electric aircraft market to be worth $8.6bn in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.2 per cent during its forecast period of 2023-2033.