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 of its hybrid-electric Electric EEL aircraft in Hawaii, showcasing its capability for regional routes and achieving a 40-50 percent reduction in CO2 emissions.
- These trials with Mokulele Airlines represent the first use of a hybrid-electric aircraft under the FAA's Experimental-Market Survey category, validating Ampaire's strategy of electrifying existing airframes.
- Ampaire focuses on the regional market, viewing aircraft upgrades as a low-cost, low-risk path to certification, with hybrid-electric aircraft projected to become a $178 billion market.
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