New Zealand's Sounds Air signs MOU for electric aircraft

New Zealand's Air Napier orders 35 Maeve 01s

Air Napier (NPR, Napier/Hastings) has signed a purchase agreement with Maeve Aerospace to acquire thirty-five Maeve 01 electric aircraft. Along with European start-up FlyWithLucy (Eindhoven), the New Zealand carrier will be the launch customer of the type.

When developed, the Maeve 01 aims to scoot along 264 knots per hour with a range of 460 kilometres. The aircraft will be capable of carrying 44 passengers and recharging in 36 minutes. Maeve is eyeing commercial service entry around the end of the decade.

"Right now in New Zealand, there are a lot of opportunities in aviation, because most regions have limited or no air connectivity at all. This is where Maeve potentially comes into play, as Maeve 01 seems to be the perfect combination of range and capacity," said Air Napier CEO Shah Aslam.

Air Napier, a subsidiary of SO Capital, is a passenger charter operator with a mixed fleet comprising a Falcon 2000EX/EASY/LX, Piper (twin turboprop) PA-31 Navajos, Piper (twin piston) PA-34 Senecas, and a Piper (single...

New Zealand's Sounds Air talks electric aircraft plans

South Korea's T'way Air to offer flight subscriptions

Air Canada, Saab buy minority stakes in Heart Aerospace

Air Canada and Saab (Sweden) will become minority shareholders in the startup Swedish electric aircraft manufacturer Heart Aerospace, with each contributing a USD5 million dollar investment. It came as Heart Aerospace revealed design updates, unveiled plans for the ES-30, and signed several new tentative purchase agreements.

The ES-30 is a lithium-ion battery-powered 30-passenger-capacity regional electric aircraft with a planned 2028 entry into service date. The ES-30 is an update to the 19-passenger ES-19.

On Thursday, September 15, Heart Aerospace said the ES-30 aircraft design would include a reserve-hybrid configuration, consisting of two turbo generators powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). It gives the plane a fully electric range of 108 nautical miles (200 kilometers), an extended range of 216 nautical miles (400 kilometers) flying 30 passengers, and the ability to fly 432 nautical miles (800 kilometers) with 25 passengers - all while maintaining appropriate fuel reserves.

"We know that meeting our net-zero emissions goals will require new technology such as the ES-30," added Air Canada President and CEO Michael Rousseau. "We have every...