Three companies have confirmed their interest in acquiring units of the ES-30, the electric-powered regional aircraft developed by Swedish company Heart Aerospace, which today presented important updates to its design.
Air Canada
The first of these is Air Canada, which announced a purchase agreement for thirty aircraft. According to the airline in a press release, the equipment will allow it to serve short-haul air routes «in a more sustainable way» and support regional connectivity services with low associated emissions.
Such an aircraft seems a good option for the airline. Canada’s geography, which is characterised by large land areas with low population density, is ideal for the operation of small aircraft with the ability to use smaller runways. In turn, an electric aircraft would make it possible to cover short routes with very low or zero associated emissions.
«Air Canada has taken a leadership position in the industry to address climate change», said Michael Rousseau, the company’s President and CEO. «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», he added.
Separately, the company acquired a five million dollars stake in Heart Aerospace and thus became a minority partner in the ES-30 development process.
Scandinavian Airlines System
Multinational airline Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) is another interested party. The company signed a letter of support in which it placed an option to purchase ES-30 aircraft to bolster its regional aircraft fleet in the future.
«Together with the entire industry, we have the responsibility to make air travel more sustainable», said Anko van der Werff, President and CEO of SAS. He also said the company is «dedicated to transforming aviation so that coming generations can continue connecting the world and enjoy the benefits of travel but with a more sustainable footprint». Finally, he assured that «the letter of support with Heart Aerospace is an important step in that direction».
The airline has been working together with Heart Aerospace since 2019. From now on, it will also be part of the manufacturer’s new Industry Advisory Board and will assist in defining the requirements for the ES-30 aircraft.
Rockton
Finally, Rockton, a Swedish-based lessor, signed a letter of intent for the acquisition of up to forty ES-30.
«The ES-30 is what we have been looking for», said Niklas Lund, the company’s CEO. «A sustainable electric aircraft with a reserve-hybrid solution that enables it to have a meaningful range and payload for the commercial airline market, and which can be available in a not-too-distant future», he added.
Finally, he also stated that «Rockton is convinced that the ES-30 will be in great demand among regional airlines that seeks a path to meaningful emission reductions with competitive operating costs».
