Heart Aerospace, a hybrid-electric aircraft manufacturer and Loganair a UK regional airline, have announced an exclusive partnership aimed at decarbonising regional air travel across the United Kingdom.
Under this agreement, Loganair and Heart Aerospace will work together to explore and develop use-cases for hybrid-electric aircraft within Loganair's extensive network in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Headquartered at Glasgow Airport, Loganair is the UK's largest regional airline by passenger numbers and fleet size, primarily operating domestic flights.
Central to this collaboration is Heart Aerospace's ES-30, a hybrid-electric aircraft currently in development. With the capacity to carry up to 30 passengers, the ES-30 has the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions while providing cost-effective and accessible air travel.
Simon Newitt, President and CCO of Heart Aerospace, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, noting that Loganair has long been a champion of regional aviation. He highlighted that this collaboration marks a significant step towards making air travel more sustainable, aligning with Loganair's ambitious goal of achieving net-zero emissions across its operations by 2040.
As part of the partnership, Heart Aerospace and Loganair will evaluate the ES-30's use cases, while also engaging with the Scottish and UK governments and airports to promote the benefits of this innovative propulsion technology. Additionally, Loganair will join Heart Aerospace's Industry Advisory Board, which includes airlines, governments, leasing companies, and airports worldwide, all committed to supporting the electrification of air travel.
“This is a very exciting and significant moment for Loganair and for the future of sustainable UK regional flying. This exclusive collaboration with Heart Aerospace brings together two organisations who share a passion to see aviation emissions reduce in a realistic and meaningful way, and we definitely see the ES-30 as being a strong contender to emerge as one of the leaders in this space. At Loganair we are very proud of our environmental work and achievements to date and we see this as the next logical step along the path to a greener future for UK regional aviation,” said Luke Farajallah, CEO of Loganair.
The ES-30 will offer a fully electric, zero-emissions range of 200 kilometres, an extended hybrid range of 400 kilometres with 30 passengers, and the flexibility to fly up to 800 kilometres with 25 passengers, all while maintaining typical airline reserves.
Heart Aerospace currently holds firm orders for 250 ES-30 aircraft, with options and purchase rights for an additional 120 planes, and letters of intent for a further 191 aircraft.
