Spanish airlines Air Nostrum and Volotea have acquired a minority stake in Dante Aeronautical, which is working to market electric propulsion conversions of existing turboprop aircraft such as the Cessna Caravan, the DHC Twin Otter, the Beechcraft King Air, and the Casa C212. Announcing the undisclosed investment on December 20, Spain-based Dante said the agreement will lead to the carriers making a similar strategic commitment to its Australian sister company Dovetail Electric Aviation, with which it recently launched a joint Series A funding round.
Initially, the partners are seeking a supplemental type certificate to convert the battery-powered Caravan and aim to start deliveries in 2025. By the following year, they aim to get approval for another version of the aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cells and then add retrofits for the King Air, Twin Otter, and C212 to its portfolio between 2027 and 2028.
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