Deal Brings ZA600 Engines to the UK for "World's First Electric Airline"

ZeroAvia found a like-minded partner abroad, finding a deal with up-and-comer Ecojet abroad.

Ecojet, a nascent carrier promising to be the "flag carrier for green Britain", will be open for business in 2024 using a fleet of standard transport aircraft for its routes to and from Edinburgh. Not long after, thanks to a deal with ZeroAvia, the carrier hopes to retrofit the entire fleet with the firm's ZA600 engines - whenever they're certified, of course. At the moment, ZeroAvia is looking for certification in 2025.

Riding along with the recent news, Ecojet placed an order for the bigger, badder ZA2000 engine, which will power the regional market usually dominated by twin turboprops up to 80 seats. As it stands, ZeroAvia sees the engines entering service in 2027.

“Clean aviation will mean increased regional air travel and new routes, Ecojet can capitalize based on their clear focus on low-emission travel," said Val Miftakhov, ZeroAvia CEO. "The UK Government’s Jet Zero Strategy has set a great example for the world to follow, but the UK can go much further by being early to act and introducing some of the first zero-emission routes in the world.”

“We don't have to give up flying to live a green lifestyle or to get to net zero as a country - and this is big news," said Dale Vince, founder of Ecojet. "The technology is here now and the planes are coming very soon - carbon free, guilt free flying is just around the corner. And although aviation is responsible for only a small part of all global emissions, it occupies a far bigger space than that in our psyche. The hearts and minds value of this new opportunity outweighs the carbon issue significantly. It shows that everything we need to do, can be done, with a low to zero carbon footprint. And that is big news and a big encouragement to us all.”

FMI: www.zeroavia.com