Cairns, Australia, December 2021 – A new partnership will see the introduction of zero-emission flights serving some of Queensland’s most iconic tourism attractions including the Great Barrier Reef.

Nautilus Aviation, a division of Morris Group, Northern Australia’s largest helicopter operator today announced their partnership with Eve Air Mobility, part of the Embraer group, that will introduce an initial fleet of 10 new zero-emission aircraft with flights taking off over the Great Barrier Reef by 2026.

Morris Group is a driving force behind sustainability initiatives across the country, including transitioning its hospitality portfolio to renewable energy sources and supporting the health and sustainability of the Great Barrier Reef through the Reef Keepers program.

Morris Group Founder and CEO, Chris Morris said the new partnership with Eve accelerates the progress towards 100% of scenic flights over the Great Barrier Reef coming from zero-emission electric aviation, and is in line with Morris Group’s commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2030 across all of its businesses.

“This partnership is an exciting development for Morris Group and Nautilus Aviation. We believe economic success and environmental sustainability go hand-in-hand and aim to strengthen and enrich the environments in which we work,” Mr Morris said.

“Eve’s eVTOL technology will integrate seamlessly into our operations to deliver a range of exciting zero-emission tourism experiences,” added Mr Morris.

Nautilus Aviation CEO, Aaron Finn said Nautilus has had an Advanced Ecotourism Certification for 8 years, however it has been hard to avoid the biggest impact of greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fuel in the company’s helicopters.

“This will allow us to provide emission-free and quiet tours over the Great Barrier Reef, providing an unmatched eco experience to our customers.” Mr Finn said.