Finnish LYGG signs a billion-euro deal with the hybrid aircraft manufacturer Electra – “Global pole position in the sustainable aviation evolution”
A collaboration worth over a billion euros between LYGG and the U.S.-based Electra.aero, lnc. will provide LYGG’s operators with up to 300 hybrid aircraft starting from 2028. With these aircraft alone, LYGG can transport more than 10 million passengers per year, which is more than 60% of Helsinki-Vantaa airport’s total international traffic this year. lntegrating 8–14-seater hybrid planes into LYGG’s business model, which combines aviation and the platform economy, enables direct connections and the full use of renewable SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) on all flights, reducing C02 emissions to just five percent of the conventional levels.
Through the agreement, LYGG gains the privilege to offer its operators the purchase of 150 Electra hybrid planes, with an option for an additional 150 planes. The 300-plane deal is valued over 1 billion euros. Accordingly, LYGG will offer operators the planes through the Hybrid as a Service model, providing financing and a profitable business.
“We are primarily facilitators in this scenario, much like Uber once offered cars to Southeast Asian taxi drivers. The agreement combines Electra’s revolutionary, already in use technology with LYGG’s equally pioneering business model. Having followed Electra for a long time, we are convinced that they will be one of the leaders in this market. We, in turn, can offer a direct path to commercial business for their planes through our corporate customer network and operators,” says LYGG’s CEO Roope Kekäläinen.
Redefining direct connections
LYGG operates regional flights mainly at airports outside metropolises and with planes of fewer than 34 seats, making it an ideal platform for operators like Electra. Electra’s eSTOL, an electric-hybrid aircraft designed for extremely short runways, needs only about 100 meters of paved or gravel surface to take off or land. lts current range is over 800 kilometers.
“The technology allows us to rewrite the definition of direct connections. Existing fields closer to city centers can be utilized more flexibly – in Lahti* (*Finnish city), for example, no additional pavement would be needed to start flight operations if Electra’s planes were already in use there,” illustrates Kekäläinen.
“And the vision for the future is even more fascinating: a parking lot near a local factory could serve as an airport for Electra’s needs. The renewal of European regulations could potentially free up up to a hundred thousand squares across Europe as new airports for the HaaS model (Hybrid as a Service). Large aircraft could not use these takeoff and landing locations, making them practically congestion- free.”
Even more climate-friendly than carpooling
The introduction of hybrid planes will reduce LYGG’s emissions to less than ten percent of the conventional levels. Even with direct connections and planes sized between 8 and 33 seats, emissions will be halved compared to alternative modes of travel. The carbon footprint will be further reduced by LYGG’s November decision to fully adopt sustainable aviation fuel on all flights by the end of next year, making it the first aviation industry player in the world to do so.
With these measures, emissions will be only a fraction of the carbon dioxide amount produced by alternative modes of travel, and the introduction of hybrid planes a few years later will enable a staggering 95 percent reduction in emissions.
“The agreement with Electra ensures that we are in a global pole position in the sustainable aviation revolution. With hybrid planes, emissions will decrease even further, and their noise pollution is negligible. Oirect connections become even more direct thanks to the Hybrid as a Service model, reducing time spent in the air. From 2028 onwards, environmentally conscious business travelers shouldn’t even consider getting into a car, not even carpooling,” emphasizes Kekäläinen
About LYGG
LYGG is a platform that makes air travel more efficient, comfortable, and environmentally conscious. LYGG enables on-demand flying for customers, providing time savings, travel comfort, and an easy user experience through its application. LYGG is actively involved in innovating and contributing to a better and more environmentally friendly future for the aviation industry. Visit www.lygg.com for more information.
For additional information, please contact:
Roope Kekäläinen, CEO, LYGG Phone +358 50 401 1321, email: roope.kekalainen@lygg.com
