Swedish hybrid-electric aircraft developer Heart Aerospace has signed an agreement with Scottish regional airline Loganair to evaluate use cases for the planned ES-30 aircraft within the UK domestic market.
Loganair’s fleet and route network provides short-haul services across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Combined with the carrier’s long-standing commitment to decarbonization, this makes this airline an interesting prospect in relation to low emissions aircraft like the ES-30.
This hybrid-electric aircraft, which is still under development, is expected to be able to carry between 25 and 30 passengers on distances of between 400 and 800 kilometers, depending on payload.
It will also be able to cover up to 200 kilometers when flying in fully electric mode, a range that could potentially be sufficient for many of Loganair’s routes within Scotland.
In a partnership announcement made public on September 4, 2024, both Heart Aerospace and Loganair pledged to engage in conversations with the governments of the UK and Scotland in order to advance the cause of electric propulsion.
Loganair will also join Heart Aerospace’s Industry Advisory Board, which gathers together airlines, airports, governments and other firms in the aviation industry with the aim of promoting the decarbonization of air travel.
Loganair was put on sale by its private owners, but the process was put on hold and then stopped in October 2023. The Scottish airline has been an active player in the UK’s green aviation ecosystem and has been collaborating with initiatives such as Project Fresson to develop a hydrogen-powered aircraft.
In fact, Loganair has expressed its willingness to become the first commercial operator of the hydrogen-powered Britten-Norman Islander plane. This zero-emissions aircraft is currently being developed by Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, a sustainable aviation firm that was spun off from the eponymous university.
