LARA sat down with Heart Aerospace’s chief commercial officer, Simon Newitt, to discuss the progress of the ES-30, and what the future holds as the aircraft moves towards its 2028 type certification target.
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Heart Aerospace’s ES-30 has undergone some big changes over the last few months.
In May 2024, the manufacturer announced a change to its hybrid-propulsion system – pressing ahead with an independent system design, built around off-the-shelf turboprops and electric motors.
At the same time, Heart also unveiled that it had opened a new Research and Development (R&D) hub in Los Angeles, United States. The US is a country which has shown an increasing amount of activity and interest in the ES-30 over the last few years, with the likes of Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures and United Airlines investing.
Now, it’s planning to launch its first demonstrator – a ground demonstrator – in September 2024, at its HQ in Gothenburg, Sweden. It will then enter the next iterative phase of development, working on a flying vehicle demonstrator to test some of the propulsion technology – all leading towards type certification in 2028.
Despite the tight deadline, Newitt says that the manufacturer isn’t going to compromise its process for the sake of speed. He says: “The market is saying, when you bring this product […] make sure it’s right and make sure it’s ready. We’re listening and making sure that we don’t lose sight of that, or our proposition.”
Commenting on the propulsion redesign, Newitt adds that: “It’s more been about tuning. “It’s not really that complete of a change. We’ve always been focused on an architecture that delivers that proposition [of net-zero emissions]. It’s more – what’s the right way to address that?”
“The net result is that this configuration is a more efficient proposition,” he explains. “We are still able to do our target all-electric range [of 200km], the hybrid range [400km]. […] It’s a confirmation, with some improvements.”
Photo: Heart Aerospace
US expansion plans
Meanwhile, the establishment of the LA-based R&D centre will focus on advancing Heart’s hybrid-electric propulsion system, and “other key technologies.” The company also has plans to relocate its full-scale aircraft demonstrator to the US, as it prepares to demonstrate proof of concept of the new system.
Indeed, Newitt confirms that growth is on the cards for the R&D hub in LA: “We’re leaning into the talent pool […] so we can see more immediate growth overall on the West Coast,” he says.
However, despite this ramp up in the US, Newitt says that there’s no chance of a wholesale move for the manufacturer – whose headquarters are in Gothenburg, Sweden – on the horizon.
“We’re a global aerospace company, so having footprints in different regions is not unusual,” says Newitt. “Our R&D centre has been set up to help complement our core engineering talent in Sweden. So going forward, yes, we’re obviously going to be ramping up in the US, but its proportional,” he says. “But we will continue to grow as needed in Europe as we go forwards.”
“We’re absolutely team Europe. We have no intention of abandoning Europe to go to the US,” he emphasises.
Heart Aerospace’s ES-30 over Region Gotland, a Swedish municipality. Photo: Heart Aerospace
Funding the future
As for what’s next, Newitt says that Heart is still very much on track towards its 2028 type certification date for the ES-30.
Heart Aerospace’s ES-30 is the only aircraft of its size with an active type certification application to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). So far, it has secured 250 orders, with options and purchase rights for another 120 aircraft. It also has letters of intent for 191 additional ES-30s, 100 of which are from US charter carrier, JSX.
“What we’re offering to the market something that is recognisable,” says Newitt. “It’s a 30-seater market that did exist before, and with the value proposition [of zero-emission aircraft] we’re going to grow the market. It’s not just replacing older aircraft.”
However, focused as it is, for now, on 30-seats, there are plans, too, for a family of aircraft in the future. “The ES-30 is the first of a product line. We want to do a lot of learning through the ES-30, to get us into a position where we go to the next product. We’re not just here as a one hit wonder.”
After a successful previous funding round in February 2024 where it raised US$107 million, Newitt says Heart Aerospace is now planning for its next round. To date, it has raised a total of $145 million.
Newitt says for this next round it is the government support angle that is the most important for the manufacturer.
In the last year, it has had support from the Government of Åland who joined its Industry Advisory Board in September 2023, and Swedish Region Gotland – the largest island in the Baltic Sea – who signed a collaboration agreement on June 27 2024.
“No aircraft program has come to market without some degree of government support in some form. So, at this stage, it’s very important for us to ensure that government support is there,” he says.
