Planned flights cancelled as UK airline in liquidation

The Edinburgh-based company ceased operations following the voluntary liquidation.

The formal appointment of Opus Restructuring to EcoJet follows the allocation of interim liquidators earlier this year. 

The company planned flights from Edinburgh to Southampton with mainland Europe and longer flights also proposed, but the schedule was not launched.

It comes amid separate pressures for the aviation industry with US carrier Spirit going bust after more than three decades in operation.

A notice in the Gazette government public record on May 1 states that “joint liquidators have been appointed” to EcoJet.

Paul Dounis and Mark Harper, of Opus Restructuring, were appointed after earlier being allocated as interim liquidators.

Opus said: “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 is also behind green energy firm Ecotricity.

The company ceased trading after liquidators were appointed. (Image: EcoJet)

Mr Vince said earlier that backers remain committed “to electrifying all forms of transport, adding: “Aviation is the last frontier and the hardest.”

He said then: “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.

“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.”

Ecotricity said of the airline on its website at 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.”

It added: “EcoJet’s fleet will comprise conventional planes 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.”