Heathrow has announced a £1 million incentive to the first regular electric-hybrid aircraft to go into service at the airport.
Heathrow says it will waive landing fees for a year for the aircraft’s operators, a prize which it says is worth “nearly £1 million”.
The airport said that there were over 100 electric aircraft projects underway across the world, and “current industry thinking suggests electric aircraft could touch down at major international airports by 2030”.
Earlier this year a two-seater electric aircraft was tested at Oslo airport earlier this year, and Easyjet is partnering with US firm Wright Electric, which has set itself the challenge of building an all-electric commercial passenger jet capable of flying passengers across Easyjet’s UK and European network within a decade.
Commenting on the news Heathrow’s CEO John Holland-Kaye, said:
“Heathrow has long been a leader in sustainable aviation. We championed carbon neutral growth in global aviation, which will come into effect in 2020.
“The next frontier is zero carbon flying, and I hope this prize will help to make it a reality at Heathrow by 2030.”
Heathrow said that the calculation for the near £1 million incentive was based “on the annualised value of a slot with three landings a day, operated by a Chapter 14 Low aircraft (A320)”, although it noted that the eventual value of the slot would be dependent on future landing charges, “which are agreed in consultation with airlines”.
