Sydney Seaplanes (Sydney Rose Bay) is seeking regulatory approval to become Australia’s first fully electric, zero-emissions commercial airline by 2025 and plans to begin commercial battery-operated flights by early 2023, according to a report on the company website.
This followed a partnership announced in early December between Sydney Seaplanes, electric aircraft engine maker MagniX, and Spain's Dante Aeronautical, which together planned to spend upwards of AUD5 million Australian dollars (USD3.7 million) in developing the world’s first electric Cessna (single turboprop) Caravan Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) programme over the next two years. Powered by MagniX’s propulsion system, Sydney Seaplanes and Dante Aeronautical would work toward an STC by converting a Cessna (single turboprop) Caravan to be the first all-electric aircraft certified by the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), the company said on its website.
Sydney Seaplanes - which according to its website operates Cessna Caravans and DHC-2s from its base at Sydney Harbour’s Rose Bay - also plans to expand its fleet by four aircraft, but did not specify which. "We believe there will be a revolution in aviation and we want to be at the forefront," said Chief Executive Officer, Aaron Shaw. "This is the way of the future. Combined with our commitment to using solar technology in our charging facilities, this puts us in a very strong position to become the world’s first fully-electric nil-emissions airline, subject to the speed of regulatory approvals," he said. The company would start working with CASA to secure approval to convert the first of its aircraft, a 12-seater Cessna Caravan.
Meanwhile, Sydney Seaplanes also aims to commence scheduled seaplane services under its new Alt Air (Sydney Rose Bay) brand from its Sydney Harbour base to Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin in September 2021, the company said. If approved, the Canberra flights could in time become battery-operated, which would mean a reduction in noise of as much as 75% compared with existing aviation-fuel powered aircraft, the company said.
Canberra’s National Capital Authority gave the green light for Sydney Seaplanes to conduct a demonstration flight on December 15, 2020, to gauge any environmental impacts of a regular seaplane operation to the lake. News reports said the flight departed from Sydney Bankstown due to bad weather in Sydney, but landed on schedule near Lotus Bay.
According to the operator’s Facebook posts, Cessna Caravan VH-IOV (msn 20800396) was the first seaplane to have landed on the capital city’s lake. “This flight is part of Sydney Seaplanes' push into commercial transport services in 2021. Sydney Harbour to Lake Burley Griffin will be exactly one hour providing by far the fastest way between the centres of each city. In addition to Canberra, we'll be adding scheduled services to Newcastle Williamtown and (Sydney's) Palm Beach (Water Airport)...(with) more to come,” the company posted.
Other destinations that would be added gradually from 2022 included Batemans Bay, Narooma, Lake Jindabyne, Port Stephens, Gosford, Hunter Valley, Lake Macquarie, Wollongong, and Jervis Bay, reports said.
Shaw told local media the plan involved operating three return flights a day week-days and two daily flights on weekends between Sydney and Canberra from September 2021. The target market would be government, business, and tourism travellers; and fares would be AUD300 (USD228) each way.
According to news reports, Alt Air’s fleet will comprise 15-seater DHC-6s and Cessna Caravans. The seaplane service means access to the centres of both cities, making trips two hours shorter than any alternative. He said shaving hours off commuters’ waiting time at airports would capture a new market. "Where we see an opportunity is getting people off the road. Last year nine million people were driving between Sydney and Canberra."
Shaw said the Alt Air name was chosen to evoke the new airline’s “alternative” approach, defining a new way of travel that was “green, quiet, fast, convenient, and affordable”.
The company still needed regulatory approval for its plans. Shaw said the demonstration flight would be followed by a period of community consultation. Sydney Seaplanes had proposed the service to the National Capital Authority in January 2020, with the hope of starting a regular route by September 2021 if the community response was positive. Shaw said the company had the approval to use Canberra in the event conditions made a water-based landing impossible.
The news was welcomed by National Capital Authority Chairman Terry Weber who told local media he was “over the moon” about the plans, which he said were “a great event for Canberra”.
