Air Canada has announced plans to purchase 30 electric-hybrid aircraft from Sweden’s Heart Aerospace, with the agreement also seeing the flag carrier taking a US$5 million equity stake in the manufacturer.
The ES-30 aircraft are expected to enter service in 2028, and can seat up to 30 passengers, with a range of 200 km when powered solely by the plane’s lithium-ion batteries.
This can be extended to 400 km with power supplemented by reserve-hybrid generators which can run on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and up to 800 km if the load is restricted to 25 passengers.
The aircraft will be configured in a 2-1 layout, and will feature a galley and a toilet.
Last year Finnair signed a Letter of Interest with Heart Aerospace to purchase up to 20 of the firm’s 19-seater ES-19 aircraft, and United Airlines Ventures has also signed an agreement to acquire 100 ES-19s.
United Airlines signs agreement to purchase 19-seater electric aircraft
Commenting on the news said Michael Rousseau, president and chief executive officer of Air Canada, said:
“Air Canada has taken a leadership position in the industry to address climate change. The introduction into our fleet of the ES-30 electric regional aircraft from Heart Aerospace will be a step forward to our goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
“Already, Air Canada is supporting the development of new technologies, such as sustainable aviation fuels and carbon capture, to address climate change.
“We are now reinforcing our commitment by investing in revolutionary electric aircraft technology, both as a customer for the ES-30 and as an equity partner in Heart Aerospace.”
