The École Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (ENAC) has placed an order for 30 new aircraft from Elixir Aircraft, a French training aircraft manufacturer, a couple of days ahead of the Paris Air Show 2025.
On June 12, 2025, Elixir Aircraft announced in a statement that it has been chosen by ENAC, Europe’s aeronautical university, to replace its fleet of Visual Flight Rules (VFR) aircraft. The order is set to be completed between 2026 and 2027.
“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,” said Olivier Chansou, Managing Director of ENAC.
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, the statement continued.
This design, along with a highly fuel-efficient engine that cuts CO2 emissions by 70%, makes the Elixir a quiet aircraft and keeps its operating cost at €50 per hour. The aircraft is particularly suited for operators with frequent flight cycles, such as training centers.
“This contract is the reward for ten years of work in the design, certification, and industrialization of our aircraft,” said Arthur Léopold-Léger, Co-founder and President of Elixir Aircraft. “We look forward to meeting the first ENAC pilots trained on the Elixir in a few years.”
So far, Elixir has become part of several private school fleets, including Airbus Flight Academy in France, Leading Edge Aviation in the UK and Spain, Fife Flight Centre in Scotland, and Egnatia Aviation in Greece.
Founded by three engineers in 2015, 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. According to Elixir, there are 300 aircraft in the order book.
