Transport / ‘One of the most exciting times for aviation’ – hybrid-electric plane could be used to go as far as Glasgow
A HYBRID electric plane could be flying passengers from Sumburgh to Orkney, Aberdeen and Glasgow by the end of the decade, a meeting heard today (Tuesday).
Heart Aerospace unveiled its vision for its ambitious collaboration with Loganair, which would see a battery electric plane with a capacity for 30 passengers enter the airline’s network.
The aircraft would have a 200km all-electric range, which could take it from Sumburgh to Kirkwall.
However it would also have a reserve hybrid system for travelling distances up to 800km, which could take passengers as far as Glasgow or Edinburgh.
It would take just 30 minutes to charge the plane, members of the council’s external transport forum heard this afternoon.
Heart Aerospace’s director of government Simon McNamara said the aircraft would have two electric motors and two “conventional turboprop motors”.
There would be zero CO2 emissions on shorter routes, he said, with the emphasis on making sure the service was “sustainable, accessible and affordable”.
He said there were “focused on bringing the cost down” of the hybrid electric flights to ensure it was financially viable for Loganair and its passengers.
And with test flights expected to take place this year, there are hopes that the first commercial hybrid electric flights could take off before the end of the decade.
Loganair’s chief operating officer Natalie Bush said this was “probably one of the most exciting times for aviation” in its history.
“We’re in a perfect position to embrace some of these new technologies as they come onboard,” she said.
“We hope this will be truly sustainable and hopefully will drive down costs as well.”
Loganair partnered with Swedish company Heart Aerospace last year, saying its ES-30 aircraft has the “potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions while offering cost-effective and accessible air travel”.
Councillor Robbie McGregor said the plans were “really exciting” but questioned if the weight of the electric batteries onboard would “reduce the payload” of the aircraft.
McNamara conceded that the batteries were “significant” in weight, and would weigh approximately four tonnes.
That was around a quarter of the total weight of the plane, he added.
However he said that as the technology improved they would provide more power – but probably would not weigh any less.
Fellow Shetland South councillor Alex Armitage asked if the Kirkwall to Inverness route was the most likely to be the first passenger route for the hybrid electric plane given the short distance.
Bush said it was fair to assume that the shortest routes were the “most likely” to get first sight of the aircraft.
But she said there was nothing to say that they would not be able to take passengers from Sumburgh to Glasgow or Edinburgh given the plane’s technical capabilities.
External transport forum chairwoman Moraig Lyall asked if Heart Aerospace were part of a packed industry vying to be first in hybrid electric passenger travel, or if they were “ahead of the curve”.
“We’re probably the most advanced in terms of the development and design,” McNamara said.
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