Elixir Aircraft and Turbotech Sign MoU to Launch Turbine Trainer Program

Global – Training aircraft manufacturer Elixir Aircraft and propulsion systems developer Turbotech have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch the industrial development of the turbine-powered Elixir.

• Entry into service is targeted for 2030, with the agreement covering aircraft integration, product development and the launch of parallel EASA and FAA certification programs.
• The aircraft will use Turbotech’s TP-R90 regenerative turbine engine, which the companies describe as:
  • Compatible with multiple aviation fuels, including SAF.
  • Operated through a single power lever.
  • Intended to provide an extended time between overhauls.
  • Entering industrial-scale production and commercially available in Europe and the United States.
• The TP-R90 was first started while installed on the aircraft in February 2025. The demonstrator completed its 55-minute maiden flight at La Rochelle on June 6, 2025, before entering a wider flight-test campaign that has now completed its initial phase.
• The turbine will be integrated with Elixir’s Carbon OneShot airframe, a one-piece carbon-fibre manufacturing approach intended to reduce structural complexity and maintenance requirements. The current two-seat Elixir received EASA CS-23 certification in 2020 and FAA Part 23 certification in 2025.
• Elixir and Turbotech are positioning the aircraft for professional training operations, with emphasis on fleet availability, turbine familiarisation and simplified power management. Final aircraft performance, operating-cost and certification specifications have not been released.
• The Elixir Turbine will complement the expanded aircraft lineup introduced by Elixir during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026. The manufacturer has also launched the larger Equinox aircraft program following a EUR45 million funding round announced in July. 

Statements

• “After a year of highly encouraging flight testing, we are now reaching a major milestone. The Elixir Turbine will complement our new aircraft lineup and provide professional operators with a solution combining ease of operation, exceptionally low operating costs, maximum aircraft availability, and compatibility with Sustainable Aviation Fuel,” said Arthur Léopold-Léger, President and Co-founder of Elixir Aircraft.
• “The signing of this agreement formalizes a technical collaboration that began several years ago and confirms the maturity of our technology. Thanks to the ramp-up of our production capabilities and the experience gained with our first turbine engines in Europe and the United States, we are ready to support Elixir Aircraft in bringing a new benchmark for professional general aviation,” said Damien Fauvet, President and Co-founder of Turbotech.

About Elixir Aircraft
Founded in 2015, Elixir Aircraft is a French aircraft manufacturer created to address the challenges facing the global light aviation industry. Headquartered in La Rochelle, France, with operations in Sarasota, Florida, the company employs 240 people. Elixir Aircraft designs and manufactures a fourth-generation, two-seat aircraft certified under EASA CS-23 since 2020 and FAA Part 23 since 2025. The Elixir features Carbon OneShot technology—a one-piece carbon-fiber manufacturing process inspired by competitive sailing—which simplifies the airframe structure to enhance safety while reducing maintenance requirements and operating costs (approximately US$50 per flight hour for fuel and maintenance). Today, 60 Elixir aircraft are in service, and the company has an order backlog of more than 300 aircraft, including firm orders, pre-orders, and letters of intent. In June 2023, the President of the French Republic announced a €13 million grant for Elixir Aircraft. In June 2025, the company was selected by ENAC (the French National School of Civil Aviation) to renew its VFR training fleet. In April 2026, Elixir Aircraft introduced the Elixir+, an enhanced version of its aircraft featuring increased payload capacity. In July 2026, the company secured a €45 million funding round to launch the Equinox program, paving the way for a new aircraft.

Source: Elixir Aircraft