Hybrid-electric airplane developer Heart Aerospace has signed an agreement with Sweden’s Region Gotland, the largest island in the Baltic Sea, to bring sustainable air travel to the region.
Heart Aerospace is developing the ES-30, a regional hybrid-electric airplane with a projected fully electric range of 200 kilometres and an extended hybrid range of 400 kilometres. A roadmap for the introduction of electric aviation in Region Gotland has been committed to, with the goal of having at least one operator flying commercially with electric aircraft to and from the island.
The collaboration will explore the area’s operational needs, technical requirements, ground infrastructure and maintenance, and business models. Last year, Heart Aerospace made a similar collaboration with the Government of Åland, an autonomous region of Finland, also in the Baltic Sea.
In May, Heart Aerospace revealed an updated design for its ES-30 and the opening of a new Research and Development facility in the United States. The ES-30 is currently undergoing hardware testing, according to Anders Forslund, co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, with the aim to bring the plane to market “before the end of the decade”.
“As we get closer to this goal, collaborations with airports, operators and regional authorities are crucial to ensure the eco-system needed to support electric aviation. We look forward to working together with Region Gotland to make this a reality,” he added.
Heart Aerospace has already secured 250 orders for the ES-30, with options and purchase rights for another 120 airplanes. The company also has letters of intent for a further 191 aircraft.