The Edinburgh-based venture EcoJet has halted operations and entered voluntary liquidation, with the formal appointment of Opus Restructuring following the designation of interim liquidators earlier this year.
The start-up had floated plans for flights from Edinburgh to Southampton, with potential services to mainland Europe and longer routes, but the schedule was never launched.
The development arrives amid broader pressures on the aviation sector, including the collapse of US carrier Spirit after more than three decades of operation.
A Gazette notice dated May 1 confirms that joint liquidators have been appointed to EcoJet. Paul Dounis and Mark Harper, both of Opus Restructuring, were named after previously serving as interim liquidators. Opus noted: “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.”
EcoJet was founded by Dale Vince, who also leads green-energy company Ecotricity. The business ceased trading once the liquidators took charge.
Mr. Vince has said backers remain committed to electrifying all forms of transport, noting that aviation is “the last frontier and the hardest.” He added that progress has taken longer than anticipated to align the technology and regulatory frameworks, and work in this area is being paused for the time being. “This is a vital frontier in the move to net zero and green living, whatever you call it — and it’s absolutely doable. It’s a matter of when, not if.”
Ecotricity, describing EcoJet on its website at launch, declared: “The move marks the beginning of an aviation revolution by making net-zero, emission-free air travel possible for the first time.” It stated that EcoJet’s fleet would comprise conventional aircraft retrofitted with hydrogen-electric powertrains. “Once converted, the aircraft will operate with the same power output as before, but with a 100% reduction 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.”
Spirit Airlines has closed its doors, with all flights cancelled. The carrier, which once operated hundreds of daily flights on its bright yellow aircraft and employed about 17,000 people, said it had begun an orderly wind-down of operations with immediate effect. Its website announced that all flights were cancelled and customer service was no longer available. Spirit added that it was proud of the impact of its ultra-low-cost model and had hoped to continue serving passengers for many years to come.
