Elfly Group signs deal with Cambodia’s VET Airways for five ‘NOEMI’ seaplanes

Elfly Group has signed an MoU, worth US$50 million, with Cambodia’s VET Airways for five aircraft, committing to bring clean, go-anywhere air travel to Southeast Asia. This marks Elfly’s 52nd aircraft, ordered through customer MoUs, as demand for the all-electric, amphibious NOEMI takes off globally - from Denmark to Greece, Indonesia, Panama, and now Cambodia.  

Neak Oknha Suo Vireak, CEO of VET Airways’ parent company, Vireak Buntham Express Co. Ltd commented: “There’s a huge market for seaplanes in Asia. The amphibious NOEMI can fly straight from airports to the coast and out compete road transport, which is important as we are looking into using it in our logistics network too.”

Eric Lithun, CEO of Elfly stated: “Signing with VET Airways shows the world is ready for NOEMI. This is the go-anywhere amphibious aircraft that opens new routes, replaces outdated fleets and brings zero-emission flight where it’s never been before. The future of air travel is here - and it’s electric. 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.” 

This is the latest milestone from Elfly, coming hard on the heels of an exciting series of developments, including: 

• Wind tunnel tests at KTH Stockholm confirms NOEMI’s low-drag, short take-off and landing (STOL) performance and stable, efficient flight.
• First flight of a 4.5m wingspan 1:5 sub-scale model from Tønsberg Fjord, Norway validates handling and water operations.
• Advanced simulator now being fed with real test data for engineering and pilot training.
• Airframe conceptual freeze completed, clearing the path for detailed design.
• Hangar Day at Torp showcased real progress to 80+ European and US guests.
• Pre-Application Contract Agreement (PAC) signed with EASA at Paris Air Show, laying the groundwork for the NOEMI conceptual prototype’s permit to fly.

Elfly reports soft orders for a total 52 NOEMI’s, worth an estimated US$550 million, with further interest for US$3.000 million aircraft, worldwide.   First flight of the full-scale prototype is targeted for 2027, with entry into service in 2030.

As NOEMI gains altitude, VET Airways plans to connect rivers, lakes and coastlines with clean, efficient flights, pushing sustainable regional air travel across Southeast Asia.