Ampaire last month flew its Electric EEL aircraft on a 20-minute flight from Maui’s Kahului Airport across the island to Hana and back on a single battery charge. The company is now flying the route regularly in a one-month demonstration program with Hawai’i-based Mokulele Airlines, one of 15 airlines that signed a Letter of Interest with Ampaire. The company said in a news release, “The trials demonstrate electric aviation’s potential to reduce harmful emissions while also evaluating the robustness of Ampaire technology. The contribution of the electric power unit, fuel consumption means CO2 emissions are reduced by approximately 40 to 50 percent.”
Ampaire Begins Airline Trials With Hybrid-Electric Aircraft
Key Takeaways:
- Ampaire successfully conducted demonstration flights in Hawaii with its hybrid-electric Electric EEL aircraft, showcasing its potential for regional routes and achieving significant CO2 emission reductions of 40-50%.
- These trials mark the first use of a hybrid-electric aircraft under the FAA’s Experimental-Market Survey category, utilizing a modified Cessna 337 Skymaster with a unique piston-electric propulsion system.
- Ampaire focuses on electrifying the regional aviation market by initially upgrading existing aircraft as a low-cost, low-risk path, aiming to tap into a projected $178 billion market for hybrid-electric aircraft.
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