Baines Simmons, part of the Safety & Security division at Air Partner, the global aviation services group, has partnered with Heart Aerospace, the Research Institutes of Sweden and Electroflight to provide consultancy and training support in the development of a commercially viable all-electric aircraft.
Working alongside its three partners, Baines Simmons assisted in securing funding for the project as part of the Eureka Initiative, a joint U.K./Swedish government scheme that supports and funds international collaborative research-and-development projects.
The joint project is future-facing and comes at a time where scrutiny of the ecological impact of the aviation industry is increasing. The development of all-electric aircraft is a vital next step in minimizing air travel's environmental footprint, and Baines Simmons is working to support a greener future for the industry.
The secured match-funding of €1.6 million (US$1.9 million) will be used to further develop the battery power system of the Heart Aerospace-developed ES-19, an all-electric aircraft scheduled to enter commercial service as early as 2026. With a range of 400 km (217 nm) and able to operate from shorter runways (750 meters), the ES-19 will be optimized for short-haul flights, operating from smaller airfields.
The battery power pack being developed by Electroflight is a bespoke, high-integrity system designed to be aerospace certifiable for flight. As propulsion technology improves, assisted by the Eureka Initiative funding, this range will continue to extend, with Heart Aerospace predicting that electric aviation has the potential to reduce total aviation carbon dioxide emissions by 43%.
Baines Simmons provided its partners with guidance and support during the successful bidding process and now, having secured the funding, the aviation safety experts will provide consultancy and training to its partners to gain vital approvals and advise on aircraft certification aspects. This assistance will be vital as the ES-19 continues to progress through the testing and prototype phases.
With a ground-based prototype currently undergoing testing, a full-scale prototype is scheduled to start flight tests in mid-2024. The aircraft has already secured global interest, even at such a formative stage, with Heart Aerospace citing letters of intent from eight airlines from across North America, Europe and Oceania.
