Swedish electric airplane developer Heart Aerospace has been selected as a long-term partner for Air New Zealand’s Mission Next-Gen Aircraft partnership for the replacement of the airline’s Q300 domestic fleet with a more sustainable option from 2030. Heart Aerospace was selected alongside Airbus, ATR, Embraer, and Universal Hydrogen.
Air New Zealand’s Mission Next-Gen Aircraft was created to accelerate the development of zero-emissions aircraft technologies, as well as the infrastructure required for such a challengefor commercial aviation in New Zealand.
As a long-term partner, Heart Aerospace will work alongside Air New Zealand over the coming years to make flying these aircraft a reality.
Heart Aerospace is developing the ES-30 which is a regional electric airplane with a standard seating capacity of 30 passengers and driven by electric motors with battery-derived energy. The ES-30 will have a fully electric zero-emissions range of 200 kilometres, an extended range of 400 kilometres with 30 passengers and flexibility to fly up to 800 kilometres with 25 passengers, all including typical airline reserves. Heart Aerospace expects to deliver its first ES-30 aircraft in 2028.
