Eastleigh could be home to Britain’s first electric airline
Eastleigh could soon be at the forefront of sustainable aviation as plans are unveiled to launch Britain’s first electric airline, Ecojet, from Southampton Airport. The brainchild of green energy entrepreneur Dale Vince, Ecojet aims to revolutionise the aviation industry by offering emission-free air travel powered by renewable energy sources.
Set to take flight early next year, Ecojet’s initial fleet of 19-seater planes will operate on a route between Edinburgh and Southampton.The airport, with a reputation for embracing sustainable practices[1], has previously played an important role in the development of aviation in the UK. For instance, the iconic Spitfire aircraft was flight tested at Southampton Airport.
While the planes will initially run on kerosene-based fuel during the first year, the long-term plan is to repurpose old planes and retrofit them with engines capable of converting green hydrogen into electricity.This transformation will maintain the aircraft’s original power output while achieving a remarkable one-hundred percent reduction in CO2 emissions. This will result in an annual carbon saving of approximately 90,000 tonnes, and the only byproduct will be water, which can be safely released into the lower atmosphere to avoid the harmful effects of contrails
The airline’s launch fleet will feature several green-striped 19-seater planes, each capable of covering distances up to 300 miles. Although currently in the process of obtaining the necessary licences from the Civil Aviation Authority and securing takeoff and landing slots at various airports, Ecojet is expected to expand its routes to major cities across Britain, providing emission-free air travel powered by renewable energy sources. As part of its commitment to sustainability, Ecojet’s staff will wear environmentally friendly uniforms and serve plant-based meals onboard.
The second phase of the project, approximately 18 months later, will introduce larger 70-seater planes capable of flying to European destinations.
In an interview with Eastleigh News in 2021[2], Labour’s Shadow Minister for Energy and the Green New Deal, Alan Whitehead, highlighted Southampton Airport’s potential to become a regional hub of a ‘green aviation network’ in an era of low carbon flying,