GE Begins Testing Hybrid Aircraft Engine After Years of Anticipation

Company is exploring ‘megawatt-class’ propulsion systems under a contract with NASA.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, June 04, 2026 at 03:11 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

GE Aerospace’s hybrid electric engine system, developed in partnership with NASA, has been put through its first fully integrated ground tests. [Credit: GE Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

GE Aerospace successfully completed the first ground test of a megawatt-class, fully integrated hybrid-electric powertrain, a key step towards future flight testing.
Developed in partnership with NASA under a five-year, $260 million contract, this system combines electric and traditional gas turbine technology to improve aircraft durability, range, and efficiency.
The ground test, which simulated various flight phases, paves the way for flight testing with a Saab 340B and is part of GE's broader strategy to mature hybrid-electric propulsion for commercial aircraft by the 2030s.

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Several airlines’ ambitions for hybrid-electric aviation may have been dashed this week following the bankruptcy of Dutch manufacturer Maeve Aerospace. But as one company searches for a new path forward, another is preparing for hybrid-electric flight tests.

GE Aerospace said Thursday that it completed its first ground test of a fully integrated, hybrid-electric powertrain that it described as “megawatt-class.” Developed through NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) program under a five-year, $260 million contract, the system combines an electric powertrain and traditional gas turbine that GE believes will deliver improvements in durability, range, and efficiency.