Vet Airways, a new Cambodian start-up, plans to connect Southeast Asian coastal communities using Elfly’s electric Noemi aircraft. On July 9, the spinoff from transportation group Vireak Buntham Express signed a memorandum of understanding with the Norwegian manufacturer covering the purchase of five aircraft in a deal potentially valued at $50 million.
In June, Elfly achieved a first flight with a 1:5 scale model of the Noemi on the Tønsberg fjord in Norway to evaluate its handling characteristics on water. The company’s engineering team has also used the KTH Stockholm wind tunnel in Sweden to assess the airframe’s drag characteristics.
According to Elfly, conceptual design for the airframe is now complete and detailed design work is underway. Also last month, the company signed a pre-application contract agreement with European regulator EASA to start the process for securing a permit to fly for its planned conceptual prototype.
Elfly says it now holds agreements covering prospective orders for 52 of the nine-passenger aircraft. Other operators are based in Denmark, Greece, Panama, Indonesia, and the UK.
Seaplanes Replace Buses
Vet Airways is part of Cambodian transportation group Vireak Buntham Express, which operates buses and other services in the country, as well as in Thailand, Vietnam, and soon Laos. The company, which employs around 5,000 people, expects to operate the Noemi in ocean-facing communities, as well as those on lakes and rivers.
“There’s a huge market for seaplanes in Asia,” said Neak Oknha Suo Vireak, the parent company’s CEO. “The amphibious Noemi can fly straight from airports to the coast and compete with road transport, which is important as we are looking into using it in our logistics network too.”
Elfly aims to start flying its full-scale prototype in 2027 and achieve type certification and service entry in 2030. It recently hosted a “hangar day” event for more than 80 guests from Europe and the U.S.
“This is the go-anywhere amphibious aircraft that opens new routes, replaces outdated fleets, and brings zero-emission flight where it’s never been before,” said Elfly CEO Eric Lithun. “Noemi isn’t just a seaplane. It’s a platform ready for the next 100 years of flight, starting as a battery-electric seaplane, but also prepared for hybrid, turboprop engines, sustainable fuels, and even hydrogen. We’ve built a fuselage and wing that outperform the venerable DHC-6 Twin Otter by a wide margin, and we’re just getting started.”