EcoJet Airlines, a Scotland-based startup carrier that planned to launch passenger flights using electric propulsion technology, has entered voluntary liquidation after failing to secure the investment needed to move the project forward.
The company was established in 2023 with the goal of developing the world’s first fully electric airline. Despite announcing several plans for future services, the carrier never reached the stage of operating commercial flights.
Documents recently filed with Edinburgh Sheriff Court show that the board has decided to close the business after attempts to raise approximately $26.8 million in additional capital were unsuccessful.
EcoJet concept was focused on adapting existing aircraft rather than designing new ones. The airline planned to equip conventional airframes with hydrogen-electric propulsion systems to deliver performance comparable to traditional engines while eliminating carbon dioxide emissions.
Under the original plans, the airline intended to launch its first route between Edinburgh and Southampton. Further expansion across the United Kingdom and into European destinations was also considered, with longer international services potentially added in the future as the technology developed.
Progress toward launching operations was slowed by several factors, including the technical development of the propulsion systems, certification requirements, and the financial resources needed to bring the concept to market.
The company previously said that retrofitting existing aircraft could significantly reduce aviation emissions and speed up the introduction of low-carbon technologies. The proposed propulsion system would produce water vapour instead of carbon dioxide as its main byproduct.
However, EcoJet remained an early-stage start-up with limited assets. Shareholders have now agreed to cover the costs of the liquidation process so that employees can receive the statutory payments owed to them.
The closure ends the project less than three years after it was founded, with the airline never carrying a single passenger despite plans to launch domestic flights in 2024.