Air Canada hopes to have electrically powered regional aircraft operating by 2028. The airline announced it is buying 30 Heart Aerospace ES-30 airliners. Air Canada is also buying a $5 million stake in the Swedish company.“Air Canada has taken a leadership position in the industry to address climate change. 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,” said Michael Rousseau, president and chief executive officer of Air Canada in a press release.
The aircraft can carry up to 30 passengers. It’s battery-only range is about 200 km. They will take about 30 to 50 minutes to recharge with a ground charger, which is within the normal turnaround time for a regional airliner. The plane also carries a turbine-powered generator that can extend the range to as much as 800 km depending on the load. “The ES-30 is an electric airplane that the industry can actually use,” said Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace. “We have designed a cost efficient airplane that allows airlines to deliver good service on a wide range of routes,” said Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace.