OpenAirlines secures new funding to advance sustainable eco-friendly aviation technology and support the industry’s decarbonisation efforts globally.
Toulouse-based, OpenAirlines, a global frontrunner in eco-flying software solutions headquartered in Toulouse, France, has raised nearly €45M in a funding round led by Eiffel Investment Group through its Eiffel Essentiel fund, with support from Mirova, a sustainable investment affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers. The financing will accelerate OpenAirlines’ commitment to helping the aviation sector achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, as well as fuel expansion into new markets in North America and Asia. This capital infusion also enables OpenAirlines to pursue strategic acquisitions to strengthen its product portfolio and increase its impact on the sector’s ecological transformation.
OpenAirlines’ eco-friendly aviation technology taking on aviation’s carbon challenge
The aviation industry, responsible for roughly 2% of global CO₂ emissions, faces pressure to meet international climate goals while balancing economic demands. Fuel alone represents around 30% of an airline’s operating expenses, making it a critical factor both environmentally and financially. OpenAirlines was founded by Alexandre Feray in 2006 with this dual challenge in mind. Over the years, the company has emerged as a leader in providing digital tools that help airlines lower emissions and costs. Its flagship solution, SkyBreathe®, is a digital platform designed to optimise fuel use across flight operations, thus enabling airlines to reduce both their environmental footprint and expenses.
SkyBreathe®, a data-driven approach to eco-friendly aviation
SkyBreathe® is a comprehensive environmental performance management system available in a SaaS model, leveraging AI and machine learning to analyse vast amounts of flight data. The platform, which has processed over 15M flights, issues real-time recommendations to pilots, ground crew, and air traffic controllers to ensure optimal fuel efficiency. Each stage of the flight cycle is analysed, resulting in actionable insights that can reduce fuel consumption by 3-5% per flight, contributing directly to lower CO₂ emissions. The solution also offers clients significant financial savings, providing a return on investment estimated at 10 to 15 times the initial cost.
Building on its success, OpenAirlines plans to further enhance SkyBreathe® through SkyBreathe OnBoard, which integrates directly into the cockpit. This new feature will offer pilots fuel-saving insights in real time during flights, making fuel efficiency an immediate and integral part of aviation operations. The company is also developing tools to assist air traffic controllers and support airlines’ Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) compliance initiatives in response to increasingly stringent global regulations.
Making a measurable impact on aviation’s carbon footprint
SkyBreathe® has quickly become a trusted eco-flying tool, with over 70 airlines worldwide—including prominent names like Air France, Korean Air, EasyJet, JetBlue, flyDubai, Indigo, and DHL—leveraging its eco-friendly aviation technology to improve fuel efficiency and minimise carbon emissions. In 2023, SkyBreathe® users achieved a combined fuel savings of 420,000 tons, corresponding to a reduction of 1.4M metric tons of CO₂. To put this into perspective, this is equivalent to seven times the amount of CO₂ saved globally by sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) that same year.
OpenAirlines’ consistent success has not only positioned it as a leader in the aviation industry’s ecological transition but has also driven impressive financial growth. Since becoming profitable in 2021, the company has maintained an annual growth rate of 30% over the past five years, reaching €10M in annual recurring revenue (ARR) by 2024. The company operates from strategic locations in Toulouse, the United States, Canada, and Hong Kong and has a diverse global footprint, generating 37% of its revenues in Europe, 30% in the Americas, and 33% in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa regions.
Securing new funding to strengthen global leadership
With fresh capital from Eiffel Essentiel and Mirova, OpenAirlines plans to deepen its market penetration, especially across Asia and North America, both identified as high-growth regions for eco-friendly aviation technology. This new investment will also fund an ambitious growth strategy focused on expanding OpenAirlines’ SkyBreathe® platform and solidifying the company’s standing as the top player in sustainable aviation. The involvement of Eiffel Essentiel, a fund dedicated to Europe’s energy transition, underscores OpenAirlines’ alignment with Europe’s broader environmental goals. By supporting the decarbonisation of aviation, Eiffel Essentiel contributes to addressing both climate change and economic resilience.
The funding round marks a pivotal moment as OpenAirlines’ original investor, Alter Equity, exits after backing the company since 2015. This transition enables OpenAirlines to build on its strong foundation and execute a global growth strategy. The company’s vision includes a comprehensive approach to sustainable aviation by integrating energy efficiency solutions across all departments within an airline’s operations.
Leadership and investor perspectives
OpenAirlines’ CEO and Founder, Alexandre Feray, expressed confidence in the company’s future growth trajectory with the support of Eiffel Investment Group and Mirova. “Thanks to the support of Eiffel Investment Group and Mirova, we now have the resources we need to position ourselves as an aggregator within our market. We will be able to make bolt-on acquisitions aimed at beefing up our range of products and services and thus cater to airlines as a real digital game-changer when it comes to reducing carbon footprints. Having already embedded our technology in the cockpit, our aim now is to rally all business lines around a joint project: to combine operating performance with environmental engagement in order to help build a more sustainable aviation industry.”
Eiffel Essentiel’s Director, Céline André, emphasised the uniqueness of OpenAirlines’ contribution to the aviation sector. “OpenAirlines is currently the only player on the market offering airlines the actual tools they need to take urgent action, bearing in mind that the industry has net zero emissions targets to meet by 2050 and that the requirement to integrate sustainable aviation fuels will take time to deliver any benefits. The company is already generating an impressive financial and non-financial impact, and we are delighted to support it through this next phase of its development.”
Similarly, Youssef Belatar, Investment Director at Mirova, highlighted OpenAirlines’ alignment with Mirova’s sustainable investment goals. “The aim of our strategy is to combine financial returns with support for the environmental transition by deploying acceleration capital that finances innovative solutions. OpenAirlines is an inspiring example of how technological innovation can help industries transition to a more sustainable business model. OpenAirlines makes use of advanced environmental performance management solutions and therefore also offers concrete tools geared towards helping airlines reduce their carbon emissions and operating expenses. We are excited to become involved in the next stages of OpenAirlines’ growth trajectory.”
Positioned for a sustainable future in aviation
With its headquarters in Toulouse and satellite offices in Miami, Montreal, and Hong Kong, OpenAirlines has positioned itself as a pivotal player in sustainable aviation technology. The company’s data-driven SkyBreathe® platform provides airlines with critical tools to reach their sustainability targets, combining cutting-edge AI with deep aviation expertise. OpenAirlines’ strategic approach enables airlines to achieve notable fuel efficiencies, reduce CO₂ emissions, and align with global climate goals, while generating substantial cost savings.
The new funding marks a major step forward in OpenAirlines’ mission to lead aviation’s ecological transition, and with the support of Eiffel Investment Group and Mirova, it is well-prepared to continue setting new standards for sustainable aviation worldwide.
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