Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

Managing Editor

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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Charles Alcock

Electra's nine-passenger hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft could be part of KinectAir's charter network from 2027. (Image: Electra)

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

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