On 9 April 2025, at the Aero Friedrichshafen air show in Germany, Elixir Aircraft delivered the first of the Elixir ordered in 2024 to the Greek flying school, Egnatia Aviation. The aircraft, in the livery of its new operator and of the aircraft rental company Green Aerolease, was flown from La Rochelle. It is part of the first batch of six aircraft to be delivered in 2025 and will be based at Kavala-Amygdaleon airport.
First delivery to Egnatia at Aero Friedrischafen
Egnatia Aviation ordered twelve Elixir aircraft in October 2024. Elixir Aircraft reception pilots ferried the first one from La Rochelle to Friedrichshafen for delivery on Wednesday 9 April. The keys to this Elixir in the livery of the Greek school were handed over by Cyril Champenois, co-founder and Sales Director of Elixir Aircraft, to Dimitris Lymperakis, President of Egnatia Aviation.
On display alongside two other Elixir aircraft with the same ‘school’ configuration (Rotax 912 100 hp engine, glass cockpit), this first aircraft will be flying to its ‘Lydia’ base in Kavala-Amygdaleon, Greece, as soon as the show closes. A further five aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2025, with the second batch of six in 2026.
“We’re delighted to take delivery of our first Elixir at the Aero Friedrichshafen air show. This aircraft meets our operational needs perfectly, as it will give our cadets the same flying experience as that which awaits them in their careers as professional pilots. I would like to thank Elixir Aircraft for meeting the delivery deadline and for this magnificent livery,” said Dimitris Lymperakis, President of Egnatia Aviation.
“This first delivery to Egnatia Aviation is an important step in the growth of Elixir Aircraft. The Elixir aircraft operated by this renowned school will train pilots for more than sixty airlines around the world. I would like to thank Egnatia Aviation for the confidence it has shown in us by renewing its fleet,” said Cyril Champenois, co-founder and Sales Director of Elixir Aircraft.
Aircraft deliveries elsewhere in Europe and soon beyond
The growing demand for new airline pilots (500,000 pilots to be recruited between now and 2050, according to IATA) means that schools around the world need to maintain a fully operational fleet, while anticipating its renewal by 4th generation aircraft. The Elixir, with its low parts count and lightweight all-carbon structure offering low operating costs, fuel consumption and maintenance, has arrived on the world market at just the right time.
With thirty aircraft already in operation in France, European deliveries in progress (Scotland, Spain, Greece) and signs of interest from other continents (200 orders in the United States, discussions in Asia), Elixir Aircraft is asserting its globalisation strategy. The acceleration of production rates and the extension of industrial infrastructures are in line with this ambition.
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 30 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.
