Plans to launch Ecojet, the world’s first electric airline, which will also be vegan-friendly, were announced in July 2023 by Dale Vince, the founder of the British renewable energy company Ecotricity —which is certified “vegan” by the Vegan Society.
The planned airline will use conventional planes retrofitted with hydrogen-electric powertrains, and onboard fuel cells will produce electricity by mixing hydrogen with oxygen from the air, producing only water as a byproduct. Vince claims this will generate the same power output as conventional aircraft but with a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions.
Ecojet flights will begin in 2024 between the UK cities of Edinburgh and Southampton, though conventional fuel will initially be used to help the airline secure routes and a license from the Civil Aviation Authority. However, from the very beginning, all inflight meals will be plant-based, there will be no single-use plastic, and staff members will be issued with eco-friendly uniforms. In 2025, the process will begin to expand into new routes within the UK and abroad.
Vince, who has been vegan for many years and is the chairman of the first vegan football club, the Forest Green Rovers, said that by converting existing planes, rather than building new ones, significant levels of carbon will be saved. He added, “The question of how to create sustainable air travel has plagued the green movement for decades; Ecojet is by far the most significant step towards a solution to date. The desire to travel is deeply etched into the human spirit, and flights free of CO2 emissions, powered by renewable energy, will allow us to explore our incredible world without harming it for the first time.”
