The Netherlands-based FlyWithLucy (Lucy), a company that claims to be Europe’s first all-electric airliner, announced on Thursday, October 6, that it has raised fresh capital from Transavia Ventures, the investment arm of Transavia. The funding amount has not been disclosed.
With this funding, the airline will make sustainable electric flying accessible to consumers in the future.
Transavia says this investment fits in with its ambition for further sustainability. The two parties inked the contract during the World Aviation Festival, a three-day gathering of the world’s aviation industry at the RAI in Amsterdam.
“The fastest way to travel door-to-door across Europe”
Founded in 2022 by Teun Kraaij, Lucy says it will accelerate the development and commercialisation of sustainable aviation. Beginning 2025, the company will provide business travellers with quick, 100 per cent environmental friendly flights that will also include a comfortable door-to-door experience. The goal is to take the lead position in Europe’s transition to emission-free aviation.
In a company statement translated from Dutch, founder Teun Kraaij, says, “Electric flying focuses in the first phase on the business traveller. Thanks to the partnership with Transavia, we can also offer electric flights to holiday destinations at an accelerated pace. By 2030, we will have the technology to take over parts of routes from existing airlines.”
In 2025, Lucy says it will launch its maiden electric flight out of Eindhoven Airport. A completely new ecosystem of universities, startups, corporates and aircraft manufacturers are joining forces.
Starting off, Lucy has five-seat electric aircraft with a 250 km range. The goal is to build bigger, longer-range electric aircraft. Lucy aims to first replace the existing regional aviation and then integrate into the current network of commercial airlines.
About Transavia Ventures
Transavia Ventures is the investment arm of Transavia. The firm says it fosters innovation and forges cooperative relationships with “cutting-edge” (tech) businesses. It focuses on scalable innovations in the fields of travel, technology, mobility, logistics, digital retail, hospitality, and sustainability in order to achieve this.
In a company statement translated from Dutch, Marcel de Nooijer, CEO of Transavia, says, “We are going to make flying with Transavia more sustainable. And so we also explore and investigate various future scenarios. The investment in Lucy is the third promising technological solution in our sustainability strategy this year.”
“We were the first low-cost airline to start refuelling with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): which reduces emissions. Still limited, due to low availability and high costs, but it’s a good start. In addition, we are a partner in the construction of a hydrogen infrastructure around Rotterdam The Hague Airport, in order to be able to fly with hydrogen. Finally, with Lucy, we are investing in electric flying,” adds Marcel de Nooijer.
