2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Surf Air Mobility has confirmed its intention to include Electra’s hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft in its planned fleet. Under an agreement announced on Thursday, the U.S. regional air services group said it has secured “preferred delivery positions” for 90 of the nine-passenger aircraft, which are expected to be able to take off and land in just 150 feet.
Electra aims to certify its aircraft under FAA’s Part 23 rules in 2028 and expects to start flight testing a full-scale prototype in 2026. Surf Air said it will deploy the aircraft with its Southern Airways Express and Mokulele Airlines subsidiaries.
The two companies will work together to define the most suitable routes for the eSTOL blown-wing design, with Electra maintaining that sectors of between 50 and 500 miles will be the most cost-effective. Under the agreement, Surf Air may also lease the aircraft to other operators providing lift for its regional air mobility network. According to Electra, Surf Air’s “aircraft-as-a-service” approach to providing finance and support for smaller Part 135 operators will help new entrants refresh regional air service with new routes. 
Surf Air is already working&nbsp;to convert the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2024-01-05/east-african-airlines-commit-surf-air-mobilitys-plan-electrify-cessna">Cessna Grand Caravan </a>aircraft to run on a hybrid-electric powertrain it is developing. It has also committed to acquiring&nbsp;Regent’s 12-seat Viceroy electric sea glider.
“[Electra’s] innovations around hybrid-electric, short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft—which can essentially take off and land on a football field-sized space—will unlock tremendous opportunities within the changing landscape of regional air mobility,” commented Surf Air Mobility CEO Stan Little. “We intend to leverage our leading position to become the definitive launch platform for new advanced air mobility aircraft technologies, such as Electra.”
As of January, Electra was reporting provisional sales agreements with around 36 prospective operators covering more than 2,000 of its aircraft. Last year, it started flight testing a <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-11-20/electra-starts-flight-tests-hybrid-electric-stol-technology-demonstrator">two-seat technology demonstrator</a> called the Goldfinch.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Surf Air Mobility Adds Electra's eSTOL Aircraft to Future Fleet Plans

Bristow Group has stepped up its plans to be the launch operator for Electra.aero’s hybrid-electric STOL aircraft by placing deposits to secure an initial five delivery positions. The agreement announced on Wednesday is based on a memorandum of understanding the helicopter operator signed with Electra in 2021. It covers&nbsp;a preorder for up to 50 of the aircraft, which&nbsp;will be able to carry nine passengers or cargo.
According to <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-09-03/helicopter-veteran-seeks-leading-role-advanced-air-mobility-revolution">Bristow</a>, it plans to deploy the blown-wing aircraft for passenger flights of between 50 and 500 miles, with type certification and entry into service targeted for 2028. The Houston-based group, which is active in the offshore oil and gas support market, did not disclose the size of the deposit placed to secure the orders.
Bristow has already established partnerships and made provisional sales agreements with multiple eVTOL aircraft developers. These include Volocopter, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-08-23/bristow-pilot-test-flies-betas-alia-electric-airplane">Beta Technologies</a>, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-12/bristow-commits-ordering-100-chaparral-vtol-freighters-elroy-air">Elroy Air</a>, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-18/bristow-plans-lilium-jet-evtol-purchase-part-wider-partnership">Lilium</a>, Overair, and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-09-22/bristow-expands-fleet-electrification-plan-orders-vertical-aerospace-evtols">Vertical Aerospace</a>.
“With this early delivery position, Bristow looks forward to being among the first advanced air mobility companies to add the Electra eSTOL aircraft to our fleet and offer our customers the advantages of this new class of aircraft,” said Dave Stepanek, the operator’s executive vice president and chief transformation officer. “Bristow provides safe, efficient, sustainable, and accessible air travel solutions to our customers, and Electra’s eSTOL aircraft aligns perfectly with our vision while enabling new markets at substantially lower operating costs.”
<h3 class="subheading">Airports Not Required for Short-takeoff Aircraft</h3>
The as-yet-unnamed aircraft is expected to take off with ground rolls as short as 150 feet, allowing it to operate from short landing strips of around 300 feet in length, including sites in urban areas. The company is projecting an operating range of up to 500 miles and speeds of 200 mph and expects its ability to access places not previously open to fixed-wing aircraft to support multiple new civil and military applications.&nbsp;
Blown-wing technology (sometimes referred to as "blown lift") involves an aerodynamic effect in which—by increasing the flow of air over the wing—the lift is generated at a much slower airspeed than with conventional aircraft. This is a key factor in the anticipated <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-28/how-electra-plans-deliver-fixed-wing-payload-and-range-helicopter-habitats">STOL performance </a>of Electra’s design and also is expected to improve energy efficiency.
According to Electra, more than 30 prospective operators have placed preorders for more than 1,700 of the aircraft. This backlog is provisionally valued at more than $6 billion.
“We deeply value our partnership with Bristow Group and the 75-plus years of experience they bring to our development program as our principal launch operational customers,” said Electra’s chair and CEO, John Langford. “This cash deposit is a real show of confidence in our eSTOL aircraft and a validation of our development roadmap.”
Earlier this month, Electra started test flights with the two-seat technology demonstrator it is using to develop the full-scale production aircraft. The <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-06-12/electra-rolls-out-estol-technology-demonstrator-aircraft-ahead-flight">EL-2 Goldfinch</a> first took off from the company’s headquarters at Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia on November 11 for an all-electric flight&nbsp;and used hybrid-electric power for a second flight on November 19.
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<figcaption>Electra has started test flights with its EL-2 Goldfinch technology demonstrator aircraft. (Electra/Taylor Mickal)</figcaption>
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Bristow Places Deposits for Early Delivery of Electra's eSTOL Aircraft

Electra.aero has started test flights with the two-seat technology demonstrator it is using to develop its nine-passenger hybrid-electric STOL aircraft. On Monday, the company announced that the EL-2 Goldfinch first took off from the company’s headquarters at Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia on November 11 for an all-electric flight&nbsp;and used hybrid-electric power for a second flight on November 19.
According to Electra’s vice president and general manager, JP Stewart, the hybrid-electric flight lasted 23 minutes, reaching an altitude of 3,200 feet and covering a distance of around 30 miles. For both this and the earlier flight, Cody Allee was the pilot. "We have already explored the stability and control of the aircraft and will now start expanding the envelope at higher and lower speeds at higher altitudes, and will then work on STOL takeoffs and landings, as well as demonstrating the acoustics," Stewart explained to AIN.
Electra <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-06-12/electra-rolls-out-estol-technology-demonstrator-aircraft-ahead-flight">unveiled the Goldfinch</a>, which is about the size of a Cessna 172 light aircraft, at an event on June 12. Like the planned full-scale production aircraft, it features a blown lift wing design and a distributed electric propulsion system consisting of eight motors and a turbogenerator that recharges batteries in flight. 
Blown-wing technology (sometimes referred to as "blown lift") involves an aerodynamic effect in which—by increasing the flow of air over the wing—the lift is generated at a much slower airspeed than with conventional aircraft. This is a key factor in the anticipated STOL performance of Electra’s design and also is expected to improve energy efficiency.
<h3 class="subheading">Full-scale Prototype in Development</h3>
Flight data from the test campaign will be used to complete the design of a full-scale prototype that Electra aims to have ready to fly in 2026. It is targeting type certification under FAA’s Part 23 rules in 2028. The U.S. Air Force has contributed $30 million towards an $85 million fund also supported by private sector contributions to finance the work.
Work on a full-scale pre-production prototype is being supported by a&nbsp;previously announced strategic funding increase (STRATFI) partnership valued at up to&nbsp;$85 million. This includes $30 million from&nbsp;the U.S. Air Force's Afwerx Agility Prime program, as well as private investments and matching&nbsp;Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding.
In June, Electra announced that <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-06-22/safran-turbogenerator-power-electras-full-scale-hestol-prototype">Safran is developing</a> a 600-kilowatt electric propulsion system for the nine-passenger aircraft. This unit will include a gas turbine based on the French group’s Arrano turboshaft engine driving GeneUs electric motors.
The production version of the Electra aircraft will have ground rolls as short as 150 feet, allowing it to operate from short landing strips of around 300 feet in length, including sites in urban areas. The company is projecting an operating range of up to 500 miles and speeds of 200 mph and expects its ability to access places not previously open to fixed-wing aircraft to support multiple new civil and military applications.&nbsp;
“The aim of Electra is to fill a gap in air travel between 50 and 500 miles, where most trips today are made by automobile,"&nbsp;said Electra founder and CEO John Langford.&nbsp;"The key to saving time is to operate close in, which means getting in and out of small spaces quietly and safely, while still being fast enough to cover long distances. Electra will be able to take you from downtown Manhattan not only to [New York] Kennedy Airport but to Washington, D.C. It will bring air service to thousands of communities where air travel today is not a practical or affordable option. It also opens vast new opportunities for middle-mile cargo logistics.”
According to Electra, more than 30 prospective operators have placed preorders for more than 1,700 of the aircraft. This backlog is provisionally valued at more than $6 billion.

Electra Starts Flight Tests with Hybrid-Electric STOL Technology Demonstrator Aircraft

Safran Helicopter Engines will develop the 600-kilowatt&nbsp;turbogenerator propulsion system for the prototype of Electra.aero’s nine-passenger, hybrid-electric&nbsp;short-takeoff-and-landing (HeSTOL) aircraft, the companies revealed this week at the 2023 Paris Airshow.
Earlier this month, Electra <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-06-12/electra-rolls-out-estol-technology-demonstrator-aircraft-ahead-flight">rolled out a two-seat technology demonstrator</a> vehicle, which uses blown lift via distributed electric propulsion. It plans to be ready to fly the full-scale prototype in 2025 as it advances toward FAA Part 23 certification in 2028.
According to Electra, the Safran turbogenerator is the heart of the as-yet-unnamed eSTOL’s hybrid-electric propulsion architecture. The turbogenerator includes a gas turbine based on Safran’s Arrano turboshaft engine driving two GENeUS electric generators, as well as an electrical power management system. Safran said it has already ground-tested several types of turbogenerators at various power levels.
“We’ve closely evaluated the advanced air mobility market, and we believe the Electra eSTOL offers groundbreaking capability in a practical design that meets market needs of both today and tomorrow while being backed by a team with decades of experience to enable its success,” said Safran Helicopter Engines executive v-p of OEM sales Florent Chauvancy.
“We will be bringing to their project all the expertise we have independently developed in the field of hybrid-electric propulsion, combining electric and thermal energy sources, to develop the right turbogenerator for Electra’s first nine-passenger prototype aircraft.”
J.P. “James” Stewart, Electra’s v-p and general manager, explained that “hybrid propulsion is key to providing emissions and cost reductions while preserving useful payloads, ranges, and speeds.”

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Electra is preparing to start flight testing a technology demonstrator for its nine-passenger, hybrid-electric, ultra-short-takeoff-and landing aircraft.

Electra Unveils Blown-lift eSTOL Technology Demonstrator

Electra.aero has built a technology demonstrator vehicle that it will use to complete the development of its hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft. During an event on Monday attended by some 200 guests at its headquarters in Manassas, Virginia, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-28/how-electra-plans-deliver-fixed-wing-payload-and-range-helicopter-habitats">the company</a> revealed the two-seat model, which it says is the world’s first blown-lift aircraft powered by distributed electric propulsion.
Flight testing is expected to start over&nbsp;the summer to track performance that will help Electra’s engineers complete the design of the nine-passenger production aircraft that could also be used to carry up to 2,500 pounds of freight. The company is aiming to produce an aircraft with exceptional short takeoff and landing performance that will be able to operate from landing surfaces of little more than 300 feet and fly routes of up to around 400 nm at a cruise speed of 175 knots. If it operated&nbsp;from longer runways of up to around 1,000 feet, payload and range could be increased.
The eSTOL aircraft’s propulsion system consists of eight electric motors and a turbogenerator that can recharge batteries inflight and run on sustainable aviation fuel. Electra says that this capability has the added benefit of avoiding the need for ground recharging infrastructure, giving far greater scope for the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/electra-estol">eSTOL aircraft </a>to operate from multiple locations, including city-center landing sites and more than 5,000 underutilized public airports in the U.S.
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 <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Electra.aero says its eSTOL aircraft will be able to operate from small spaces such as the Manhattan heliport in New York City. (Image: Electra)</div>
 
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<figcaption>Electra.aero says its eSTOL aircraft will be able to operate from small spaces such as the Manhattan heliport in New York City. (Image: Electra)</figcaption>
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<h3 class="subheading">Ground Tests with the Aircraft Riding on a Truck</h3>
Electra has already conducted extensive ground tests with <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-09-07/electra-completes-test-hybrid-electric-engine-estol-aircraft">the propulsion system</a> and has also mounted the demonstrator on a truck to drive it down Manassas’s Virginia Municipal Airport runway at speeds of between 30 and 60 knots. Marc Ausman, the company’s chief product officer, told FutureFlight that engineers have been able to change the aircraft’s angle of attack and flap settings during ground runs that have generated data to be compared with its computer models. He said that this progressive approach, which began with flying a much smaller subscale model, has reduced the program’s technology risk.
“In the three years since we founded Electra, we’ve designed our eSTOL aircraft, validated our blown-lift technology with a subscale demonstrator, and run a fully integrated test of our 150-kilowatt hybrid-electric generator at full-scale,” said Electra’s founder and CEO, John Langford. “Now we’re ready to test the entire system with this technology demonstrator aircraft. We can’t wait to fly this plane and show the world what our eSTOL aircraft can do.”
According to Electra, it now holds letters of intent for over 1,200 aircraft, which could lead to firm orders worth more than $4 billion, which implies a unit price of around $3.3 million. The company recently raised $85 million in new funding, which includes a $30 million award from the U.S. Air Force to develop potential military applications for eSTOL aircraft.
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<div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blockmediaimagefield-caption">
 
 
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Electra's eSTOL aircraft will seat up to nine passengers, or carrying around 2,500 pounds of freight. (Image: Electra)</div>
 
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<figcaption>Electra's eSTOL aircraft will seat up to nine passengers or carry around 2,500 pounds of freight. (Image: Electra)</figcaption>
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According to Ausman, most of the 32 prospective customers are <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-18/welojets-plans-deploy-electras-estol-aircraft-charter-flights">Part 135 operators</a> operating fleets of aircraft, with some Part 91 private operators in the mix as well. Almost three-quarters of the anticipated clients&nbsp;are already flying commercial operations, mainly with aircraft such as Textron’s King Air, Caravans, and Skycourier, as well as Pilatus PC-12s.
Blown-wing technology (sometimes referred to as blown lift) involves an aerodynamic effect in which by increasing the flow of air over the wing, the lift is generated at a much slower airspeed than with conventional aircraft. This is a key factor in the anticipated eSTOL performance of Electra’s design and also is expected to improve energy efficiency.
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Electra Rolls Out eSTOL Technology Demonstrator Aircraft Ahead of Flight Testing

Charter booking platform KinectAir plans to use Electra’s nine-passenger eSTOL aircraft to develop point-to-point regional air mobility services in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. Under an initial agreement announced on February 28, KinectAir says it intends to add up to 30 of the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-09-07/electra-completes-test-hybrid-electric-engine-estol-aircraft">hybrid-electric short-takeoff-and-landing</a> aircraft to a fleet that several of its operating partners would own.
The exact terms of the provisional transaction were not disclosed but Electra said that Washington-based KinectAir will “facilitate” the purchase. KinectAir said that the aircraft will be distributed among its FAA Part 135-certified operators when delivered, as anticipated, in 2027.
The KinectAir platform currently offers one-way and round-trip whole aircraft charter flights operated by a couple of commercial operators with a mix of eight-seat Pilatus PC-12 turboprop singles and five-passenger, twin-engined Diamond DA62s. The company provides operators with its software, which it says maximizes fleet utilization and provides competitive pricing for travelers.
<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2020-07-09/kinect-air-prepares-launch-charter-frax-programs">KinectAir </a>is seeking to add operators to its network&nbsp;and would also like to expand it to other regions of the U.S. and to Europe. The company is in the process of applying for its own Part 135 air operator&nbsp;certificate.
<h3 class="subheading">Takeoff and Land with 300 Feet of Runway</h3>
The <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/electra-estol">Electra eSTOL</a> model’s exceptional short-takeoff performance, requiring landing strips of just 300 feet, could open&nbsp;more convenient route options for charter operators and their customers. The aircraft, which could carry&nbsp;2,500 pounds in freight services, is expected to have a range of up to around 400 nm and a cruise speed of 175 knots. The manufacturer says that it could access some 5,200 underutilized public airports in the U.S. with the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-28/how-electra-plans-deliver-fixed-wing-payload-and-range-helicopter-habitats">blown-lift design</a>.
“Out of over 40,000 itineraries entered into our software, 83 percent of customers want to bypass the largest 30 airport hubs in order to use only point-to-point airport pairs,” said KinectAir CEO Jonathan Evans. “We have found that our customers book an average flight distance of 215 miles, so we know from our software data that the sweet spot for regional air mobility is between 100 and 300 miles.”
For now, the Kinect Air platform is offering whole-aircraft charters. However,&nbsp;it aims to support per-seat on-demand bookings&nbsp;by the time the Electra eSTOL aircraft enters service that would allow for ridesharing on regional flights. The company pointed to a September 2022 <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364242459_REGIONAL_AIR_MOBILITY_MARKET_STUDY">NASA-funded study</a> by Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Aerospace Engineering that found many passengers would fly distances over 100 miles ahead of other modes of transportation if given the option to begin and end their journeys in convenient local airports.
Virginia-based Electra, which says it is close to starting flight testing with a two-seat technology demonstrator, has reported letters of intent covering 1,200 aircraft at&nbsp;a list price of approximately $3 million. Other prospective customers in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia&nbsp;include <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-18/welojets-plans-deploy-electras-estol-aircraft-charter-flights">WeloJets</a>, Bristow Group, Flyv, Ebird, Harbour Air, Tailwind Air, Ravn Alaska, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-09-27/mintair-set-employ-electras-estol-aircraft-korean-regional-flights">MintAir</a>, Events Air Cargo, Flapper, Yugo, Gold Aviation, Northwest Seaplanes, and the El Azufre resort.
“Electra’s hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft provides a better way of moving people and cargo on regional routes faster and cleaner than alternative means of travel,” commented the company's&nbsp;chief product officer, Marc Ausman. “KinectAir provides that missing link and we will work closely with the KinectAir team to integrate Electra’s eSTOL into their extended regional air mobility network.”
In 2021, KinectAir announced plans to offer fractional shares in the Cassio family of hybrid-electric aircraft being developed by France-based <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-07-23/kinectair-offers-fractional-shares-voltaeros-hybrid-electric-cassio">VoltAero</a>. The company says this provisional agreement for an unspecified number of aircraft is still in place, with the launch of the commercial offering on hold for now. The Cassio aircraft, carrying between four and 10&nbsp;passengers, would have a range of almost 700 nm and speeds of up to 200 knots.
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KinectAir Plans to Add Electra's eSTOL Aircraft to Its Charter Booking Network

Electra’s plans to bring its eSTOL aircraft to market have received a boost with the U.S. Air Force awarding it up to $85 million to develop a full-scale preproduction example of the hybrid-electric model. The Air Force’s Afwerx innovation unit announced the Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI)&nbsp;on January 26, with the money to be made available through a mix of private investments, government grants, and matching Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funds.
The Virginia-based company says it is close to starting test flights with a two-seat <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-28/how-electra-plans-deliver-fixed-wing-payload-and-range-helicopter-habitats">blown-lift </a>technology demonstrator. The production version of the as-yet-unnamed <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/electra-estol">eSTOL aircraft </a>is expected to carry up to nine passengers or 2,500 pounds of freight and to&nbsp;operate&nbsp;from runways of no more than 300 feet in length.
The STRATFI award is intended to provide an investment platform to support the rapid deployment, test, and evaluation of a full-scale eSTOL vehicle for possible military roles. The work will help the Air Force to validate its requirements and operational use cases. 
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Electra sees its eSTOL as offering the operational flexibility of eVTOL vehicles and helicopters, with superior payload and range. Its hybrid-electric powertrain means that it would be able to operate from locations not equipped with electric recharging facilities. The company says it has already received over <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-18/welojets-plans-deploy-electras-estol-aircraft-charter-flights">1,000 provisional orders </a>for the aircraft, which will have a cruise speed of 175 knots and a range of around 500 miles.
The latest Afwerx award means that Electra is building on its existing involvement in the agency’s Agility Prime program to evaluate defense applications for new aircraft. The company is already working under six SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer contracts for the Air Force.
“There is a significant gap in the Joint Force [requirements] to provide logistics and sustainment to widely dispersed units across the large contested geographical areas at the tactical edge,” said Ben Marchionna, Electra’s director of technology and business development. “Electra’s eSTOL is ideally suited to serve as a small highly fuel-efficient airliner that helps the U.S. Air Force execute its Agile Combat Employment doctrine and meet its operational energy goals to reduce aviation carbon emissions.”

U.S. Air Force Provides More Funding for Electra's eSTOL Aircraft

Charter operator Welojets this week joined a growing list of prospective customers for Electra’s hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft, signing a letter of intent for 32 of the model. Announcing the deal on October 18&nbsp;at the NBAA-BACE business aviation trade show, the Virginia-based startup said&nbsp;its provisional order book now runs to 1,000 aircraft with a combined value of $3 billion, which would imply a list price of $3 million.
Electra’s customer base spans regional airlines, urban air mobility providers, charter groups, helicopter operators, and emergency medical support providers based in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia. These include Bristow Group, Flyv, Ebird, Harbour Air, Tailwind Air, Ravn Alaska, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-09-27/mintair-set-employ-electras-estol-aircraft-korean-regional-flights">MintAir</a>, Events Air Cargo, Flapper, Yugo, Gold Aviation, Skyportz, Northwest Seaplanes, and the El Azufre resort.
Welojets, which operates a fleet of business aircraft in Europe and the Americas, said&nbsp;its interest in the<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/electra-estol"> eSTOL aircraft</a> is part of a plan to develop new markets in a more sustainable way. Its employees are spread across 20 locations.
<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-28/how-electra-plans-deliver-fixed-wing-payload-and-range-helicopter-habitats">Electra</a> now says its model will be able to carry up to nine passengers or 2,500 pounds of freight on sectors of up to around 400 nm. With its short-takeoff-and-landing performance, it will be able to operate from no more than 300 feet of runway and cruise at 175 knots. The <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-09-07/electra-completes-test-hybrid-electric-engine-estol-aircraft">company</a> expects to be ready to start test flights with a two-seat technology demonstrator by year-end.
“Welojets fully embraces the electric aviation revolution and we are thrilled to work on Electra to deliver cleaner and cost-effective flights to our customers,” said company&nbsp;president Alfredo Lisdero. “We plan to fly the Electra eSTOL aircraft into existing airports as well as use it to expand our operations into new markets that cannot be served currently with traditional fixed-wing aircraft. Thanks to the Electra aircraft’s cost and performance advantages, we see many opportunities to grow our services throughout Europe and Latin America.”

Welojets Plans to Deploy Electra's eSTOL Aircraft For Charter Flights

MintAir this week took a new step toward its goal of&nbsp;operating scheduled regional air services in South Korea by signing a letter of intent to buy 50 of Electra’s planned nine-passenger eSTOL aircraft. Initially, the company says, it will operate the fixed-wing aircraft, which is expected to be able to land and take off in as little as 300 feet, from existing airports as new infrastructure becomes available in and around cities.
The <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/electra-estol">Electra hybrid-electric eSTOL</a> is expected to be able to operate on routes of up to 500 miles (800 km) and could carry 1,800 pounds of cargo instead of passengers. According to MintAir, from its initial operating hub in Seongnam City (a suburb of the capital, Seoul), it will be able to reach anywhere in Korea, including the remote islands of <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-09-02/south-koreas-jeju-island-plans-evtol-air-taxi-rides-tourists">Jejudo</a> and Ulleungdo.
Seongnam City in Gyeonggi province is just over 16 miles from Seoul’s downtown Gangnam district. It is at the heart of the so-called Korean Silicon Valley with its concentration of high-tech companies.
MintAir says it to start taking deliveries of the aircraft in 2026 or 2027, depending on the pace of progress with the type certification process. It said the letter of intent signed with Electra will become a purchase agreement once certification is complete.
“Our mission is to develop the safest advanced air mobility service in both urban and regional routes, contributing to decarbonization of the aviation industry,” said MintAir CEO and co-founder Eugene Choi. “We selected Electra’s eSTOL because of its superior safety, the energy-saving lift efficiency of its blown-lift technology, lower operating costs, and the clear path to certification as a fixed-wing aircraft.”
In September, Electra completed <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-09-07/electra-completes-test-hybrid-electric-engine-estol-aircraft">ground testing</a> of its 150 kW hybrid-electric propulsion system and reported that it is now integrating the equipment into a piloted technology demonstrator aircraft that it expects to take to the air for the first time before the end of this year. The U.S. company says that it has <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-28/how-electra-plans-deliver-fixed-wing-payload-and-range-helicopter-habitats">20 prospective customers</a> for the eSTOL model, with commitments also made by helicopter group Bristow, and charter flight booking platforms&nbsp;<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-10/asian-flight-booking-platform-yugo-commits-electras-estol-aircraft">Yugo</a> in Singapore, Flapper in Brazil, and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-12-15/electra-signs-conditional-order-100-estol-aircraft-germanys-flyv">Flyv</a>&nbsp;in Germany.&nbsp;In June, it joined forces with another eSTOL aircraft developer called <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-06-08/electra-and-airflow-join-forces-bring-estol-aircraft-family-market">Airflow</a>, which it acquired.
The agreement with Electra announced on September 27 came just under a month after Incheon-based MintAir signed a <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-08-31/mintair-orders-40-jaunt-journey-evtol-air-taxis-korean-market">letter of intent</a> to purchase up to 40 of Jaunt Air Mobility’s four-passenger Journey eVTOL aircraft and become the U.S. manufacturer’s exclusive partner in Korea. This aircraft is expected to operate on routes of up to around 100 miles.
MintAir was founded in 2014, initially as a developer of superheat conductors that it supplied to major companies such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics. It refocused its activities on electric aviation in June 2021 when it signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S. company Skyworks Aeronautics for exclusive rights to its eHawk electric gyrocopter.
Along with MintAir co-founder and chief strategy officer Jongwon Park, Choi also runs a California-based affiliate company called Mobius Energy that is developing mobile charging stations for vertiports. Park told&nbsp;FutureFlight&nbsp;Mobius is in talks with Electra over possibly using this equipment, for which Skyworks is already the launch customer.
Electra also announced this week that it has recently made a first flight with its Dawn One uncrewed solar-electric research aircraft from its facility in Manassas, Virginia. The aircraft, which took to the air on September 9, is part of the Stratospheric Airborne Climate Observing System, led by Harvard University and with funding from NASA and the Weld Foundation for Scientific and Environmental Development.
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<div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blockmediaimagefield-caption">
 
 
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Electra's Dawn One uncrewed solar electric research aircraft made its first flight on September 9. (Image: Electra)</div>
 
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<figcaption>Electra's Dawn One uncrewed solar electric research aircraft made its first flight on September 9. (Image: Electra)</figcaption>
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News

Surf Air Mobility Adds Electra's eSTOL Aircraft to Future Fleet Plans

Bristow Places Deposits for Early Delivery of Electra's eSTOL Aircraft

Electra Starts Flight Tests with Hybrid-Electric STOL Technology Demonstrator Aircraft

Safran Turbogenerator To Power Electra's Full-scale HeSTOL Prototype

Electra Unveils Blown-lift eSTOL Technology Demonstrator

Electra Rolls Out eSTOL Technology Demonstrator Aircraft Ahead of Flight Testing

KinectAir Plans to Add Electra's eSTOL Aircraft to Its Charter Booking Network

U.S. Air Force Provides More Funding for Electra's eSTOL Aircraft

Welojets Plans to Deploy Electra's eSTOL Aircraft For Charter Flights

MintAir Set To Employ Electra's eSTOL Aircraft for Korean Regional Flights

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