Hybrid-electric planes must ‘drive down costs’ for Loganair customers

Heart Aerospace's ES-30. Image: Heart Aerospace

Aviation pioneers claim cost-cutting hybrid-electric planes are “just around the corner”.

Heart Aerospace gave a presentation on its plans to “regenerate” regional flying at Tuesday’s external transport forum.

The Swedish-based company launched an exclusive partnership with Loganair last year - and said it was “making good headway”.

The aim is to have Heart’s hybrid-electric ES-30 in use on the network by the end of the decade.

Heart’s director of government and industry affairs Simon McNamara said that while that might seem a long way off – it was “just around the corner” in aviation terms.

The first prototype is scheduled to fly in the US later this year.

Mr McNamara said cutting costs - as well as emissions - was central to the partnership’s aims.

“We must drive the costs down,” he said.

“Loganair and other airlines are on our backs - in a very positive way - to ensure we stay absolutely focussed on bringing costs down so they can transfer that affordability on to the passengers.”

The ES-30 has been designed to carry up to 30 passengers and will be powered through a combination of electric batteries and conventional turboprop engines.

With an expected range of 200km in fully electric mode, zero emission flights between Orkney and Shetland are among the proposals.

Longer journeys – up to 800km – will also be possible with the use of conventional fuel, meaning flights throughout mainland Scotland could be feasible.

Mr McNamara said Loganair’s regional network was ideally suited to launch the new technology.

He said Shetland and the Highlands and Islands region had the potential to become a “lighthouse” in embracing sustainable air travel for the wider aviation sector to follow.

“The market is seeing the ingredients are all here in Scotland,” he added.

“We see the opportunity for Scotland to really step-up and show itself to the world about how this can be done, how to collaborate, how to get everyone together and make it happen.

“It’s a powerful thing.”

Loganair chief operating officer Natalie Bush was also enthusiastic about the partnership.

“From a Loganair perspective, this is really exciting because we are in the perfect position to embrace this new technology.

“Our route network, the smaller aircraft, the shorter runways, the regional connectivity really lends us to being the launch for the new technology.

“This is a really exciting time for aviation, in fact one of the most exciting times for aviation, with developments going on to bring something to the table which will be truly sustainable and will hopefully help our environment and drive down costs.”

Loganair is investigating various approaches to sustainable air travel, including hydrogen fuels, but Ms Bush hybrid-electric was an “easier infrastructure leap” to achieve compared with other technologies.

Mr McNamara said battery technology had progressed rapidly in recent years and had reached a stage where it could now help solve some of the big challenges facing regional aviation.

He said “it’s not been easy” for the sector over recent years - with high maintenance costs a chief factor.

Mr McNamara also noted that Sweden, where the company was based, was the “home of flight shame” - thanks to climate activists Greta Thunberg - and said it was therefore important to find sustainable aviation solutions.

With the energy density of batteries undergoing “double digit growth”, Mr McNamara said the the “simplicity” of the technology had reached a stage where it could bring down costs significantly.

Shetland South councillor Robbie McGregor, who has owned two electric cars, highlighted issues with the substantial weight of batteries - and asked whether this was an issue for aviation too.

Mr McNamara acknowledged the batteries proposed for the ES-30s weighed in at four tonnes - almost a quarter of the plane’s entire weight.

However, he also said that as technology improved, the batteries’ productivity would increase.

“We are going to be he heavier but as we progress to the second and third generation, this washes away,” he added.

Forum chairwoman Moraig Lyall said the plans were “very exciting” - particularly as short regional routes were the “prime candidate” for their launch.