Aircraft
Harbour Air's Electric Beaver Achieves First Flight
Canadian airline Harbour Air aims to be operating electrically-powered scheduled flights within two years
Harbour Air made a first flight with a DHC-2 Beaver aircraft powered by Magnix's electric magni500 motor on December 10.
Harbour Air made a first flight with a DHC-2 Beaver aircraft powered by Magnix's electric magni500 motor on December 10.

Harbour Air made what it said was the world’s first flight by an all-electric commercial aircraft on Tuesday when one of its re-engined DHC-2 de Havilland Beavers took off from Richmond, near Vancouver in British Columbia. The six-passenger aircraft, piloted by company CEO Greg McDougall, made a short test flight powered by a single 750-hp Magnix magni500 electric motor.

The Canadian operator’s goal is to be ready to operate scheduled passenger flights in all-electric aircraft within two years. In addition to the DHC-2 Beaver, it operates a 40-strong fleet of larger DHC-3 Turbine Single Otters and DHC-6 Twin Otters. Magnix expects that it will take until the end of 2021 to get the required supplemental type certificates for the three aircraft.