The Efficiency of a Turboprop, the Performance of a Jet: Meet Maeve’s M80

Maeve Aerospace’s M80 concept takes the best of both worlds, turboprop and regional jet, in a bid to decarbonize without sacrificing speed, cost, comfort, or efficiency.

Jack Daleo

Monday, December 11, 2023 at 02:37 PM ET

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A digital rendering of Maeve Aerospace’s concept for an 80-seat, hybrid-electric regional aircraft. [Courtesy: Maeve Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

Maeve Aerospace is developing the M80, an 80-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner designed to combine the performance of a jet with the economics and efficiency of a turboprop.
The M80 features an aerodynamically optimized airframe and a unique hybrid propulsion system that reduces fuel consumption by over 40% and seat-mile costs by up to 25% compared to existing regional aircraft, while cruising at jet altitudes and speeds.
Its engines recharge batteries during descent, eliminating the need for ground charging infrastructure, and the aircraft aims to reduce carbon emissions to near zero using advanced sustainable aviation fuels (PtL), with commercial launch targeted for 2031.

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What if one aircraft could fuse the performance of a jet with the economics and efficiency of a turboprop, all while reducing carbon emissions to near zero? It sounds like a fantasy. But there’s one already in development—and it’s a hybrid-electric, 80-seat regional airliner.

The aircraft is called the M80, and the company behind it is Dutch manufacturer Maeve Aerospace, which on Monday spilled the details on its latest design. Geared for regional, 800 nm routes, the M80 is claimed to burn less fuel than a regional jet, cost less per seat-mile than a turboprop, and reduce emissions more than both. It’s expected to debut in 2031.