Starting in 2030, 35 new electric passenger aircraft are expected to be deployed from Deurne. The aircraft were ordered by ASL Group and Flying Group, respectively, two Antwerp-based companies that both specialize in the management and operation of private jets.
Electric aviation offers the financially struggling Deurne Airport opportunities, but whether it will be enough to fill the debt hole remains to be seen. A small fleet for business flights generates limited traffic and landing rights.
In other words, for Deurne, this means these aircraft will primarily make existing business flights cleaner rather than attract new passenger traffic and revenue.
Looking for TUI’s successor
In September, Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder faced heavy criticism in the Flemish Parliament over her much-discussed airport deal.
In addition to a settlement regarding debt forgiveness reached between the government and Egis, the French operator of the regional airports in Antwerp-Deurne and Ostend, the deal also stipulated that both airports would continue to receive subsidies until at least 2039.
After all, in the spring of 2027, TUI will stop operating flights out of Deurne, and roughly a quarter to half of the airport’s self-generated revenue comes from TUI’s flights.
However, thanks to this new, more favorable overall outlook, the controversial Deurne Airport could get a fresh start and remain in operation well into the 2030s, when electric aircraft with a range of 500 kilometers are expected, and it could also become a base for drones.
ASL Group is committed to the Microliner
This shift toward electric aviation is now getting a boost from the order for 35 electric passenger aircraft. ASL Group has ordered 10 electric aircraft. The first aircraft will be delivered in 2030 and will be able to fly 400 kilometers quietly, partly because the batteries are located in the wings, and without CO2 emissions.
ASL is already operating 2 very small electric aircraft from the Slovenian company Pipistrel at Deurne Airport. However, those aircraft can remain airborne for only 40 minutes and are used solely for pilot training.
“We’re going to have those aircraft depart from Deurne, but also from other airports,” says Philippe Bodson, CEO of the in Hasselt headquartered ASL Group. “The first aircraft will seat 9 passengers. We’re targeting business travelers or others who want to get somewhere quickly,” says Bodson.
The aircraft – the Microliner, with an estimated price of approximately 5 million euros per unit – have been ordered from the German manufacturer Vaeridion.
The issue, nevertheless, is that this is a startup company, and it is aiming for EASA certification and commercial flights starting in 2030 – the first test flights are scheduled for some time around 2028. Consequently, any delays in battery development, certification, or financing will push back the delivery schedule.
Flying Group sets its sights on the Valo
Flying Group, for its part, ordered 25 electric aircraft from the British company Vertical Aerospace. Those aircraft, the Valo, will have to fly out of Deurne starting in 2030, albeit initially over a distance of 160 km.
“But that will already allow us, for example, to transport businesspeople to airports. Think of it as a quiet and eco-friendly alternative to a helicopter,” says CEO Bernard Van Milders in the Gazet van Antwerpen, referring to the fact that the aircraft can take off and land vertically.
There is room for 6 people on board, and the estimated cost of such an aircraft is around 4 million euros. “In the slightly longer term, we also expect hybrid aircraft from Vertical Aerospace, which will allow us to fly much further,” says Van Milders.
But just like the Microliner, the Valo has yet to obtain its EASA certification. Vertical Aerospace is further along in its flight testing than Vaeridion. However, the production design still needs to be finalized, and in July 2026, the company pushed back its target certification date from 2028 to 2029.
Greener future?
Meanwhile, Antwerp Airport is preparing for the arrival of electric aircraft by providing additional charging capabilities, such as constructing a solar panel and battery park. As part of the renovation of the aircraft parking bays, infrastructure will also be installed to allow power cables to be run to the aircraft in the future.
The question, however, of the economics of operating small electric aircraft may be enough to replace the traffic and revenue lost when TUI abandons Deurne in March 2027 remains.
First and foremost, these providers focus on high-end passengers, not on mass tourism. A small fleet for business flights and semi-scheduled services, such as air taxi connections, generates limited volumes and landing rights.
This cannot be compared to an airline with about 10 vacation destinations. Moreover, ASL and Flying Group are companies that are already established in Deurne.
So, their electric aircraft are mainly shifting existing business; they’re bringing in very little new business, although a larger available fleet could also lead to an expansion of services, and consequently, more customers.
Limited capacity
The problem is also limited capacity. A 9-seat aircraft flying four one-way passenger sectors daily, with 70% occupancy over 300 operating days, would carry approximately 7,560 passenger journeys annually. Ten such aircraft could theoretically generate 75,600 journeys, but only if all were fully operational and sufficiently utilized.
Regardless of whether all the certificates will be ready on time, not all the aircraft will be delivered at the same time. If more customers are brought on board, this will likely happen gradually—more of a steady progression than a sudden leap forward.
Furthermore, it is not yet certain that all the ordered aircraft will be based at Deurne. A vertical takeoff aircraft, moreover, does not necessarily need a conventional airport. If vertiports closer to city centers become available, some services could bypass Deurne entirely.
Due to the limited range of 400 km – the practical range is probably closer to 300 km – the initial focus will primarily have to be on short regional routes connecting cities poorly served by high-speed rail.
Since cities such as Berlin, Cannes, and Nice are excluded, the usable network is consequently limited to cities in neighboring countries such as Paris, London, Cologne, and Düsseldorf – precisely the distances over which the train is competitive.
Span of several years
On top of that, there’s still a gap of several years between 2026 and 2030 that needs to be financed first.
The airport handled 240,541 passengers in 2025, up 15.2% from 208,845 in 2024. However, traffic remained below the pre-pandemic level of 306,330 passengers in 2019.
In 2024, the airport recorded a net loss of 658,000 euros. For 2025, management announced a positive operating result of 492,000 euros, although questions were subsequently raised in the Flemish Parliament about its accounting treatment and a disputed government receivable.
Last year, the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) recorded 6,444 business flights at Antwerp Airport – including both arriving and departing flights – but, on average, Deurne now receives barely 570 passengers per day. Last year, the airport received 13.5 million in subsidies, including Flemish and federal support, which amounts to 65 euros in government support per passenger who lands at Deurne or departs from there.
And, of course, the entire transition to electric flight – from high-power aircraft chargers and potentially electrical grid reinforcement to appropriate facilities for battery servicing and fire safety – will also need to be financed.
Electric aviation could give Antwerp Airport a useful new niche in European regional mobility. But with unproven aircraft, uncertain delivery dates and no publicly demonstrated financial return, it remains consequently far too early to claim that 35 small electric aircraft will secure Deurne’s future.
