Sustainable aviation startup LYGG has opened reservations for a new direct air link between Norwich and Groningen, with services scheduled to begin on 4 March 2026. While the announcement adds another name to the list of would-be regional connectors in the UK market, the proposed route also highlights the familiar gap between ambition and operational certainty that has characterised a number of recent start-up ventures.
The service would link Norwich Airport with Groningen Airport Eelde, operating every second week on Wednesdays and Thursdays. LYGG says frequencies could be increased if demand builds, in cooperation with the two airports.
The Groningen–Norwich leg is intended to be the first to launch under LYGG’s broader “North Sea Route” concept, a staged regional network designed to connect offshore, industrial and maritime hubs including Humberside, Den Helder, Esbjerg and Stavanger.
Founder Roope Kekäläinen says the model is deliberately conservative. Routes, he argues, only open once recurring demand is secured, rather than relying on speculative forecasts. “We are pooling demand across the North Sea, because companies operate in multiple locations,” he says, adding that even relatively small passenger volumes can justify incremental growth once a route is established.
From the airport perspective, the project has been framed as a boost to regional business connectivity rather than leisure travel. Groningen Airport Eelde says the partnership brings “appropriate new business connectivity for the region”, positioning the airport more firmly in the corporate travel market.
A tough market for regional hopefuls
The wider UK and north-west European regional market is an unforgiving one. Environmentally focused start-up Ecojet Airlines, which had promised hydrogen-powered turboprop operations, entered liquidation in January after repeated delays and mounting losses. Avooma Airlines remains on the drawing board as a potential UK entrant, but with unclear timelines and little public detail.
Against that backdrop, LYGG’s announcement inevitably invites scrutiny—not just of the route itself, but of the business structure behind it.
Corporate reset and documentation issues
The LYGG brand was originally used by FlyMaas Oy, a Finnish company founded in 2020 which operated a limited number of charter flights in northern Europe using a Pilatus PC-12 and Saab 340 leased from charter operators. FlyMaas was declared bankrupt in May 2025. Two months later, a new entity, Flyggit Oy, was incorporated and announced that it had acquired LYGG’s business and brand.
While such corporate restarts are not unusual in aviation, LYGG’s online booking flow still presents terms and conditions dated May 2023. Those terms reportedly continue to name FlyMaas Oy—now bankrupt—as the contracting party.
For a company already selling tickets, outdated contractual documentation is more than a cosmetic issue, and raises basic questions about who passengers are actually contracting with if bookings proceed.
Who operates the flights?
Further uncertainty surrounds operations themselves. LYGG consistently describes itself as a “platform”, not an airline, and does not hold an air operator certificate. Nonetheless, the website states that flights are “Operated by LYGG”.
Under European consumer protection rules, passengers should be informed of the identity of the operating air carrier—or at least the likely operator if this has not yet been finalised. LYGG has not publicly named the AOC holder that would operate the Norwich–Groningen service, nor confirmed the aircraft type to be used.
The situation has echoes of earlier virtual airline attempts. In 2017, Irish start-up Aer Southeast was forced to postpone its launch and refund customers after selling tickets without the appropriate authorisations in place, despite having an ACMI provider lined up. While the circumstances are different, the parallel is a reminder that regulatory and contractual clarity must be in place before confidence can follow.
Ambition meets reality
On paper, LYGG’s demand-led approach to regional connectivity addresses real gaps around the North Sea, and the Groningen–Norwich route may yet prove workable. However, with a previous bankruptcy in the background, bookings open far in advance, unclear operating arrangements and outdated legal documentation, the concept still has ground to cover before it looks fully credible.
In a market littered with delayed or abandoned start-ups, execution—and transparency—will matter far more than the elegance of the platform model. For now, LYGG has bookings open. Whether passengers will ultimately board an aircraft in March 2026 remains an open question.
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