Harbour Air, North America’s largest seaplane airline, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with magniX to acquire 50 magni650 electric engines. magniX’s electric propulsion units (EPUs) will be utilised to electrify Harbour Air’s fleet, commencing with the De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver in 2026. The magni650s will also be employed for third-party conversions.
This agreement signifies a milestone in electric aviation and represents a notable advancement in the longstanding partnership between magniX and Harbour Air. In December 2019, the two companies made history with the maiden flight of the eBeaver, a Harbour Air De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver retrofitted with a magniX electric engine, marking the world’s first fully-electric commercial aircraft flight. To date, the prototype eBeaver has completed 78 flights in preparation for the certification of the aircraft.
magniX is at the forefront of electric aviation, having powered historic flights by five different aircraft. In addition to the eBeaver, these include Eviation’s all electric commuter airplane, Alice, and the largest hydrogen-electric aircraft, Universal Hydrogen’s retrofitted De Havilland Dash 8.
“Electrifying Harbour Air’s fleet with magniX’s engines sets us on a course to define the future of regional flight,” said Riona Armesmith, Chief Technology Officer of magniX. “The many flights that the eBeaver has now completed with magniX’s technology demonstrate that the electric age of aviation is here and bringing it to the marketplace is growing rapidly closer. As we mark Earth Day, we recognize the urgency of solutions such as this in answering the climate challenge.”
“We are excited to accelerate the adoption of electric aviation technology and further our journey towards a sustainable future”, says Bert van der Stege, CEO of Harbour Air. “The agreement with magniX underscores our commitment to revolutionise commercial aviation with electric propulsion and to pave the way for cleaner, quieter and more efficient air travel.”
Headquartered in Everett, Washington State, USA, magniX is leading an era of sustainable aviation. The company has developed a family of electric propulsion units (EPUs) and energy storage systems (ESS) for commercial aviation. With the industry’s highest energy density batteries and unparalleled EPU performance, magniX is leading the aviation industry into a sustainable future. magniX is a subsidiary of the Clermont Group, an international conglomerate headquartered in Singapore.