Major UK airline plunges into liquidation – all flights cancelled | UK | News | EUROtoday

A British airline has collapsed into liquidation following a reported try to lift £20million.

Scottish agency Ecojet Airlines had been heralded because the world’s first all-electric airline, established in 2023 by entrepreneur Dale Vince, a distinguished Labour donor and proprietor of Forest Green Rovers soccer membership.

The airline harboured formidable plans for long-haul flights and European routes, with an preliminary service from Edinburgh to Southampton mapped out. However, a petition was introduced earlier than Edinburgh Sheriff Court to wind up the enterprise and appoint joint interim liquidators, in response to paperwork from the top of January.

At the time of launch, Mr Vince said: “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.”

The Herald stories that Paul Dounis and Mark Harper, of Opus Restructuring, have been appointed as provisional liquidators. Opus confirmed the motion adopted a “voluntary liquidation initiated by the company’s board.”

It added: “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.”

Ecotricity proclaimed on its web site on the time of the launch: “The move marks the beginning of an aviation revolution by making net-zero, emission-free air travel possible for the first time.

“Ecojet’s fleet will comprise typical planes retrofitted with hydrogen-electric powertrains. Once transformed, the plane will function with the identical energy output as earlier than, however with a 100% discount in CO2 emissions.

“The decision to repurpose old planes rather than build new models from scratch will save 90,000 tonnes of carbon per year. The only byproduct will be water, which can be captured and released into the lower atmosphere to avoid the harmful effects of contrails.”