Despite once being a futuristic dream, electric aircraft, like Airbus' proposed ZeroE, could be flying in our skies in the near future. Photo: Airbus
Could electric aircraft be the next sustainable alternative for domestic air travel? Research uncovered by Distrelec is pointing in that direction.
With recent advancements in aviation technology, it is estimated that by 2025 around a quarter of the industry will be electric or hybrid. Some in-development electric planes are capable of around 90 minutes of travel on a single charge.
While sustainable medium and long-haul travel still has a way to go, given around half of all international flights fall into the short-haul category (totaling less than 500 miles), a switch to electric aircraft has the potential to slash emissions on domestic flights by 2.7 million tonnes in the United Kingdom alone.
Having analyzed over 100 flights departing airports across the British Isles, researchers at Distrelec have uncovered multiple routes that could realistically and reliably make the switch to electric.
One of the shortest domestic flights in the United Kingdom, a 38-minute hop between Belfast International and the Isle of Man, uses around 36kg of carbon dioxide per passenger. In 2019, the route served approximately 20,000 passengers – with a switch to electric aviation, 752 tonnes of carbon dioxide could be cut on the 76-mile flight.
Benefits could also be seen on longer domestic routes, including flights originating at London Gatwick and London Heathrow to Scottish cities, including Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Glasgow. The longest service between Heathrow and Aberdeen currently takes around an hour and fifteen minutes, emitting 84kg of carbon dioxide per passenger.
While once a futuristic dream, the “inevitable shift” towards sustainable travel reflects a growing trend within the aviation industry. Since the launch of the United Nations net-zero carbon emissions initiative in 2020, airlines across the globe have signed up and firmly committed themselves to decreasing emissions and fossil fuel reliance by 2050. The demand has seen aircraft manufacturers dive head-first into development, from industry giants like Airbus and Boeing to smaller, independent startups.
One manufacturer, in particular, is seeing a significant surge in interest; Swedish electric aircraft startup, Heart Aviation. Currently holding letters of interest from United Airlines and Finnair, Heart's 19-seat ES-19 is set to be the first all-electric regional aircraft, boasting a 400km range with a full-charge time of just 40 minutes. The first flight is planned for 2024, with an anticipated 2026 start date. Simple Flying - link - Molly Russell - link - more like this (electric aviation) - link - more like this (decarbonising aviation) - link
Having analyzed over 100 flights departing airports across the British Isles, researchers at Distrelec have uncovered multiple routes that could realistically and reliably make the switch to electric.
One of the shortest domestic flights in the United Kingdom, a 38-minute hop between Belfast International and the Isle of Man, uses around 36kg of carbon dioxide per passenger. In 2019, the route served approximately 20,000 passengers – with a switch to electric aviation, 752 tonnes of carbon dioxide could be cut on the 76-mile flight.
Benefits could also be seen on longer domestic routes, including flights originating at London Gatwick and London Heathrow to Scottish cities, including Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Glasgow. The longest service between Heathrow and Aberdeen currently takes around an hour and fifteen minutes, emitting 84kg of carbon dioxide per passenger.
While once a futuristic dream, the “inevitable shift” towards sustainable travel reflects a growing trend within the aviation industry. Since the launch of the United Nations net-zero carbon emissions initiative in 2020, airlines across the globe have signed up and firmly committed themselves to decreasing emissions and fossil fuel reliance by 2050. The demand has seen aircraft manufacturers dive head-first into development, from industry giants like Airbus and Boeing to smaller, independent startups.
One manufacturer, in particular, is seeing a significant surge in interest; Swedish electric aircraft startup, Heart Aviation. Currently holding letters of interest from United Airlines and Finnair, Heart's 19-seat ES-19 is set to be the first all-electric regional aircraft, boasting a 400km range with a full-charge time of just 40 minutes. The first flight is planned for 2024, with an anticipated 2026 start date. Simple Flying - link - Molly Russell - link - more like this (electric aviation) - link - more like this (decarbonising aviation) - link
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