Ambitious plans to launch hydrogen-powered aircraft production in Latvia’s Liepaja have ground to a halt, with Fokker Next Gen Latvia entering liquidation less than a year after it was founded. 

The liquidation process now casts serious doubt on whether any part of the hydrogen aircraft programme envisioned for Liepaja will continue. 

“Fokker Next Gen has announced the closure of its legal representation in Latvia. The decision is part of the group's internal review and consolidation of operations, with the company focusing its main activities in the Netherlands at this stage,” the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA) confirmed in a statement on its website. 

"The international investment environment is currently challenging for many high-tech companies, and restructuring is not uncommon. Fokker Next Gen's decision to concentrate its activities in the Netherlands is an internal process within the group. The memoranda of cooperation with Latvian institutions remain in force, and Latvia continues to develop its hydrogen and modern aviation technology ecosystem, maintaining its existing achievements," said Ieva Jāgere, director of the LIAA.

The venture, established in February 2024 with a modest share capital of €2,800, was wholly owned by Dutch parent firm Fokker Next Gen. It had arrived in Latvia with sweeping promises – hundreds of high-skilled jobs and a pioneering role in Europe’s emerging hydrogen aviation sector.

Those projections never materialised. In its short first year, the company reported no operating revenue and posted losses of €135,474. Fixed investments amounted to just under €4,000, and only one employee was on the payroll by year’s end, according to Latvian LETA newswire. The company’s dissolution formally began on December 1.

Despite this, the LIAA had previously showcased the project as one of Latvia’s most significant upcoming industrial endeavours. The Ministry of Economics also signed a memorandum of understanding with Fokker Next Gen in late 2023, outlining plans to develop a 120-150-seat hydrogen-fuelled passenger aircraft with a range of up to 2,500 km, the agency said.

The initial phase was expected to create as many as 100 jobs in Latvia within three years, working alongside Riga Technical University and municipalities across the Kurzeme coast. At the time, Economics Minister Viktors Valainis described the project as a major opportunity for Latvia’s technological reputation, pledging close support and a smooth path through state procedures.

Momentum briefly increased in May 2024 when Fokker Next Gen and airBaltic signed a memorandum to collaborate on aircraft development, with the airline promising operational insight, LETA said.