French National School Of Civil Aviation Orders 30 Elixir Two-Seaters

PARIS—Elixir Aircraft has received an order for 30 of its Elixir two-seaters from ENAC, France’s national school of civil aviation.

The contract is another boost for the La Rochelle, France-based startup manufacturer, as the Elixir was certified as recently as 2020 and just 35 are in service. Other training organizations, such as Airbus Flight Academy, already use the Elixir. The airframer’s order book stands at 300.

ENAC has a fleet of about 100 aircraft for pilot training. It is replacing the older-generation ones it uses for VFR (visual flight rules, as opposed to instrument flying), such as the four-seat Socata TB10s. The smaller size of the Elixir and its composites construction enable it to use a less powerful engine–a 100-hp Rotax 912iS. As a result, fuel efficiency is improved by 70%, Elixir says.

Deliveries are planned in 2026-27 to ENAC sites in Toulouse and eight other locations in France. Commercial pilots trained at ENAC will thus complete part of their training on the Elixir from 2027.

“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 toward more sustainable aviation,” said Olivier Chansou, ENAC’s managing director.