Plan to create Scotland's first net zero airline from Wick picks up top prize at business competition
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
An ambitious plan to establish Scotland’s first net zero airline to provide affordable and sustainable flights across the Highlands and Islands has taken the top prize in the UHI Business Competition.
Thomas Eccles from Nethybridge, the founder of FlyHighland Ltd, was named the overall winner at an awards ceremony at the UHI Inverness campus. He impressed the judges with his pitch to be an aviation innovator by operating aircraft using hydrogen propulsion from the airport at Wick.
He was motivated to improve Scottish flight connections after being shocked by the price of a last-minute flight from Shetland. Thomas intends to work with a leader in aerospace concepts and is in the process of raising funding to purchase aircraft and gain the necessary permissions.
Thomas said: “I am overjoyed that FlyHighland has been awarded the top prize. It’s a tremendous honour to be recognised for our commitment to communities because
we’re driven by the stories at the heart of the isolated communities we want to serve, and I’m deeply touched that we’ve been recognised for that.”
An electrical and electronic student from UHI North Highland, picked up the best engineer award along with £1000.
Dean Frazer has developed a working prototype of an energy-saving service to reduce cost, waste and carbon footprint caused by inefficient electrical installations.
The installations would be fitted with low-cost devices that would monitor electrical quantities and raise the power factor when it falls.
Dean said: “The competition has been a great event; I’ve met amazing people with fantastic ideas. My own business is about saving energy and I’m sure this experience will help me bring my idea forward.”
