Air Canada hopes to start flying electric-hybrid aircraft on domestic routes from 2028.
The airline has agreed to buy 30 ES-30 regional aircraft under development by Swedish firm Heart Aerospace.
Described by the carrier as “revolutionary”, the aircraft will generate zero emissions flying on battery power and yield “significant operational savings and benefits”.
The new aircraft will be powered by lithium-ion batteries, providing a smaller environmental footprint than conventional turbo-prop aircraft.
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It will also be equipped with reserve-hybrid generators that can use sustainable aviation fuel.
The ES-30 will be capable of carrying 30 passengers all-electric, zero-emission range of 200 km.
This can be extended to 400 km with power supplemented by generators, and up to 800 km if the load is restricted to 25 passengers.
Charging time for the aircraft is expected to be 30-to-50 minutes.
The ES-30 will allow Air Canada to serve regional and commuter routes more sustainably, providing low-emission connectivity to local communities over the medium-to-long term.
Air Canada has also acquired a $5 million equity stake in Heart Aerospace as part of the deal.
The airline’s chief executive Michael Rousseau said: “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.
“Already, Air Canada is supporting the development of new technologies, such as sustainable aviation fuels and carbon capture, to address climate change.
“We are now reinforcing our commitment by investing in revolutionary electric aircraft technology, both as a customer for the ES-30 and as an equity partner in Heart Aerospace.”
Heart Aerospace founder and chief executive Anders Forslund added: “Air Canada is a strategically important partner for Heart Aerospace. The company has one of the world’s largest networks operated by regional turboprops, and it is also a progressive, future leaning company especially in the green transmission.
“With the ES-30 we can start cutting emissions from air travel well before the end of this decade.”
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