A planned airline that promised to transform green air travel has collapsed before carrying a single passenger.
The eco-focused startup has now entered liquidation after failing to secure millions in funding.
EcoJet Airlines, the Edinburgh-based company that aimed to become the world’s first electric airline, has formally entered liquidation.
Paul Dounis and Mark Harper from Opus Restructuring were appointed joint liquidators, according to a notice published in the Gazette government records on May 1.
The airline was founded in 2023 by Dale Vince, the founder of Ecotricity and owner of Forest Green Rovers.
Mr Vince is a green energy entrepreneur and one of Labour’s biggest donors, having given more than £5.5million to the party through Ecotricity since 2020.
He has been a vocal supporter of Labour’s environmental policies, but has also faced criticism over his backing of climate protest group Just Stop Oil and comments calling for tighter restrictions on large political donations.
EcoJet planned to cut aviation emissions by converting existing aircraft to hydrogen-electric power rather than building new planes, a model it claimed could save 90,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
The airline had hoped to launch routes between Edinburgh and Southampton before expanding across mainland Europe.
However, the venture collapsed after failing to secure £20million in funding. Provisional liquidators were first appointed in February, with all planned bookings cancelled and dozens of scheduled flights scrapped as the business shut down.
The airline had hoped to launch routes between Edinburgh and Southampton
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Opus Restructuring confirmed that EcoJet possessed no significant assets at the time of its collapse.
A spokesperson for the firm stated: “EcoJet was a start-up business and has no material assets. The members have elected to fund the liquidation process to ensure that the company’s employees receive their full statutory entitlements.”
The company’s owners have chosen to personally finance the winding-up procedure, ensuring staff members will receive the payments they are legally owed.
This decision means workers affected by the airline’s failure will not be left out of pocket despite the business having nothing of value to distribute.
The airline was founded in 2023 by Dale Vince, the founder of Ecotricity and owner of Forest Green Rovers
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Mr Vince has confirmed that investment in the electric aviation project has been put on hold, though he maintains confidence in the technology’s future.
He said: “We remain committed to electrifying all forms of transport – aviation is the last frontier and the hardest.”
The entrepreneur acknowledged that aligning technological development with regulatory requirements had proved more time-consuming than anticipated.
Despite the setback, Mr Vince expressed optimism about the eventual success of electric flight
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GETTY“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,” he explained.
Despite the setback, Mr Vince expressed optimism about the eventual success of electric flight, adding: “This is a vital frontier in the move to net zero, green living, whatever you choose to call it – and it’s absolutely doable.
“It’s a matter of when not if.”