Jekta and Gayo Aviation sign LoI for ten PHA-ZE 100s

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Jekta and Gayo Aviation have signed a letter of intent (LoI) for 10 of the Swiss OEM’s PHA-ZE 100 aircraft, marking the first deal for the amphibious fledgling. 

The airframe will be delivered in a baseline configuration for 19 passengers, with the deal including ground support equipment for charging and replacing the PHA-ZE 100’s batteries; tools and component support for the first year of operation; training for two pilots and two technicians; and a three-year airframe warranty.

With offices in Sweden and Dubai, Gayo Aviation plans to make the aircraft available for environmental and experiential tourism and charter operators wishing to bolster their sustainable transport options. Gayo will also offer the aircraft on lease for scheduled affordable regional services in underserved communities.

Gisle Dueland, CEO of Gayo Aviation, said: “We are delighted to be the first customer to sign an LOI with Jekta for this impressive, versatile and comfortable airframe. We want to be among the first to provide our customers with a truly sustainable option to transport their passengers. With the potential to reduce per-passenger-per-hour costs by more than 70% compared to current seaplanes we can satisfy that need. The trend for the top end of the tourism community is towards sustainable and experiential travel, so we wanted to be ahead of the curve and first in line to serve this evolving sector. This opens up more opportunities to supply sustainable tourism options and Gayo is committed to supporting this expansion. We anticipate that interest in travel on these airframes will be high.”

Jekta CEO George Alafinov, who is in negotiations with a second potential customer located in the Gulf, said: “With a powerful presence in the charter, travel and tourism sectors gained over a decade in the industry, Gayo Aviation recognises the PHA-ZE 100’s potential to deliver against its ambition to support sustainable operations. Sustainability does not have to mean a compromise in comfort or capability and the PHA-ZE 100 has been designed to meet these needs. It also satisfies the increasing demand and opportunity to use water as infrastructure, the expansion of seaplane routes, and provides a sustainable, optimised solution to replace ageing seaplanes.”

The PHA-ZE 100 flying boat will be certified to EASA CS-23 and US FAA FAR-23 standards for fixed-wing passenger aircraft.

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