Elixir Aircraft has announced that it has signed a contract for the operation of five Elixir by Leading Edge Aviation, a training centre based in the UK and Spain, which has confirmed its intention to renew its fleet with Elixir Aircraft. This tripartite contract has also been signed with Green Aerolease, a French aircraft rental company. Leading Edge is thus the launch customer for Elixir Aircraft’s and Green Aerolease new rental offer.
Leading Edge Aviation, one of Europe’s leading flight schools, has chosen Elixir Aircraft to renew its fleet of 21 aircraft. Elixir Aircraft will supply Leading Edge Aviation with five Elixir aircraft equipped to the highest avionics standards, starting at the end of 2024.
Andy McFarlane, CEO of Leading Edge Aviation, said, “We are thrilled to be adding Elixir Aircraft to our fleet, marking a significant step in advancing our training capabilities. After extensive market research, we found that the Elixir offers unparalleled safety, economy, and environmental credentials, making it the ideal choice for our single-engine aircraft needs.”
He continued, ”As the safest aircraft in its class, specifically designed for flight training, it aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing the best possible training environment. With its exceptional green credentials, including paying a net-zero levy for every hour flown, we are proud to offer a sustainable solution to our students at our Alhama base in Murcia. This is just the beginning, with a further five aircraft on order and options for more, ensuring we continue to lead in aviation training excellence.”
‘When we met the Leading Edge team, we immediately agreed on common objectives. They wanted to offer a new aircraft to their students, guaranteeing them great performance while maximising operational efficiency and ensuring the highest levels of safety. We are very happy to have Leading Edge as part of the Elixir Aircraft family.” commented Emmanuel Gil, European Sales Manager of Elixir Aircraft.
This firm order brings Elixir Aircraft’s order book to more than 300 aircraft, including orders, pre-orders and letters of intent.
Following the example of commercial aviation, where airlines frequently purchase their aircraft from lessors (aircraft renting companies that buy batches of aircraft from manufacturers), Elixir Aircraft wanted to offer its customers flexibility.
The aircraft manufacturer approached Green Aerolease, a key player in low-carbon aircraft rental in Europe. Together, they built an offer that provides customers with a new financing capacity.
This brand new offer facilitated the deal with Leading Edge Aviation, the launch customer for a product that allows professional schools interested in the Elixir to acquire their aircraft through an “all included” rental service (aircraft itself, insurance and maintenance).
“Including the Elixir in our rental offer is a key step for us, as it allows us to support flight schools interested in this innovative aircraft,” said Guillaume Abéguilé, COO of Green Aerolease. “It also reinforces our commitment to driving the environmental transition in aviation by offering a new generation of aircraft with full CO2 compensation as part of our service. We are proud to collaborate with Elixir Aircraft to help Leading Edge meet their fleet renewal goals with greener, more sustainable aircraft.”
Elixir Aircraft is a French aircraft manufacturer founded in 2015 to meet the challenges of global light aviation. Based in La Rochelle, it has over 150 employees and is recruiting massively. Elixir Aircraft designed and has been building a 4th-generation two-seater aircraft, certified EASA CS-23 since 2020. Elixir Aircraft uses technology from the world of competitive sailing, the “Carbon Oneshot” (in one piece), to simplify structures. More simplicity means fewer failures, so greater safety, but also less maintenance, and lower costs (estimates of savings of $50/h fuel and maintenance). At the end of 2021, Elixir Aircraft opened a new production site in Périgny, Charente Maritime, to bring production of all carbon parts in-house.
There are 27 Elixir aircraft currently in operation, with over 300 of the 4th-generation Elixir aircraft on the order book (firm orders, pre-orders and letters of intent). In June 2023, the French President announced a 13-million euro subsidy for Elixir Aircraft. In early 2024, Elixir Aircraft announced the closing of its development financing for the next 5 years, with a budget of 40 million euros. Elixir Aircraft is preparing to open a new 15,000 m2 facility in La Rochelle and another in Sarasota, Florida.
www.elixir-aircraft.com
Leading Edge Aviation is a rapidly expanding pilot training academy with a fresh approach and an emphasis on holistic training. Offering the highest standards of regulatory technical training, students also benefit from a comprehensive professional and personal development curriculum to enhance non-technical skills.
Based at London Oxford Airport and Alhama, Southern Spain with a commitment to holistic pilot development, the Leading Edge Aviation offers a range of modular and integrated training programmes, including the innovative LEAP (Leading Edge Airline Preparation) course; a full-time integrated course with BSc degree (UK only) and a comprehensive graduate airline selection preparation workshop. Facilities at both locations support a comprehensive educational experience, combining modern aircraft and simulators, advanced learning technologies, and a vibrant student living environment.
Leading Edge also delivers modular training (including Ground School, MECPL, CBIR, MEIR, uMAP (university Modular Airline Preparation), A-UPRT (Advanced Upset Prevention Recovery Training), APC MCC (Airline Pilot Standards Multi Crew Co-operation) at its UK base in Oxford.
www.leadingedgeaviation.com
Green Aerolease is a subsidiary of the W3 Group that provides turnkey rental solutions for decarbonized light aircraft to operators in the aviation industry (aero clubs, flight schools, airlines, etc.). The company’s ambition is to accelerate the environmental transition of aviation in France and Europe by offering a completely unique rental service in the green aviation sector.
www.greenaerolease.com
