Elixir Aircraft, a French manufacturer of training aircraft, has been selected by the French National Civil Aviation School to replace its fleet of VFR* aircraft. Thirty Elixir aircraft will be delivered to ENAC between 2026 and 2027. The Elixir is a 4th-generation aircraft equipped with a OneShot carbon structure, a unique and innovative solution thanks to its simplicity. This design, combined with an ultra-fuel-efficient engine, reduces CO2 emissions by 70%.
ENAC committed to renewing its fleet
The École Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (ENAC) is Europe’s leading aeronautical university. It trains students for careers in aeronautics and air transport, including engineers, air traffic controllers and pilots. Every year, 2,000 students are trained in France and abroad. In addition to its historic campus in Toulouse, ENAC operates its aviation activities from eight other sites in France. The school is committed to renewing and modernising its fleet, which will consist of 97 aircraft by 2025. For the VFR segment, the Elixir, certified in 2020 and produced in La Rochelle, has been selected for a firm order of 30 aircraft. Airline pilots trained by ENAC will thus complete part of their training on the Elixir from 2027 onwards.
The Elixir, a fourth-generation aircraft manufactured in France
Founded in 2015 by three engineers, Elixir Aircraft obtained EASA certification for its 100-horsepower two-seater aircraft in 2020. Since then, 35 aircraft from the La Rochelle factory have been flying across Europe. There are 300 aircraft on the order book.
The Elixir is a fourth-generation aircraft with a simplified, all-composite aerostructure called Carbon OneShot. It comprises only nine parts, with no rivets or glue. This innovative technology offers almost unlimited potential, increased safety and reduced maintenance, while also making the aircraft lighter, thereby reducing fuel consumption compared to models with metal or partially composite structures.
This innovative design, combined with an ultra-fuel-efficient engine that reduces CO2 emissions by 70%, makes the Elixir a quiet aircraft and limits its operating cost to €50 per hour. These advantages are particularly suited to operators with high flight cycles, such as training centres.
In addition, the Elixir’s full glass cockpit avionics provide student pilots with an environment very similar to that which they will encounter when flying commercial aircraft.
The Elixir has joined the fleets of private schools such as Airbus Flight Academy in France, Leading Edge Aviation in the United Kingdom and Spain, Fife Flight Centre in Scotland and Egnatia Aviation in Greece. ENAC’s order provides Elixir Aircraft with public recognition and valuable support for its industrial development.
“We are very proud to integrate the Elixir into the fleet of ENAC, Europe’s leading aeronautical school. It is an honor to succeed the French manufacturers who have marked the history of this elite institution. This contract is the reward for ten years of work in the design, certification, and industrialization of our aircraft. We look forward to meeting the first ENAC pilots trained on the Elixir in a few years,” said Arthur Léopold-Léger, co-founder and president of Elixir Aircraft.
“The Elixir fits perfectly with our ambition for ENAC’s future fleet, built around three strategic axes: educational, economic, and environmental performance. One of ENAC’s missions is to support the transformation of the air transport sector towards more sustainable aviation, and the major fleet renewal operation, with the support of our supervisory authority, is part of this strategy. We are delighted and excited about our partnership with Elixir Aircraft,” said Olivier Chansou, Managing Director of ENAC.
