FutureFlight On The Radar
Study Says Electric Aircraft May Need Subsidies to Be Cost Competitive
A study by Roland Berger and the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre evaluates the business case for a hypothetical hybrid-electric 19-seat regional aircraft in real-world competition against existing airliners from Embraer, ATR, and Airbus.

Especially in the wake of Covid’s body blow to the air transport industry, it’s an unforgiving world out there among airlines. The prospect of electric aircraft existed before the pandemic, but will commercial operators now see this as a viable part of their medium-term recovery and long-term future?

A new joint study by transportation consultants Roland Berger and the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) addresses this point head-on by questioning whether electric aircraft can ever compete on cost with existing airliners. Yes and no is their answer.