Air Canada has signed a purchase agreement for 30 ES-30 electric-hybrid aircraft, which are being developed by Heart Aerospace in Sweden. Under the agreement, the airline has also acquired a US$5m (R88,6m) equity stake in Heart Aerospace.
The aircraft are expected to enter service in 2028 and will generate zero emissions flying on battery power, yielding significant operational savings and benefits. They have capacity of 30 passengers, along with a galley and lavatory.
The ES-30 will be powered by lithium-ion batteries and will have a smaller environmental footprint than conventional turbo-prop aircraft.
It will also be equipped with reserve-hybrid generators that can use sustainable aviation fuel. Fully loaded, the ES-30 is projected to have an all-electric, zero-emission range of 200km. This can be extended to 400km with power supplemented by the generators, and up to 800km if the load is restricted to 25 passengers. Charging time for the aircraft is expected to be 30-50 minutes.
