Heart Aerospace
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| Company type | Private |
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| Industry | Aircraft manufacturing |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Founder |
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| Headquarters | Gothenburg, Sweden |
Key people | John S. Slattery (Chairman) Anders Forslund (Founder CEO) Simon Newitt (President & CCO) Kiara Fourslund (Co-Founder & CBO) |
Number of employees | 130 (2022) |
| Website | heartaerospace |
Heart Aerospace is a Swedish startup company developing electric aircraft for regional travel.
Product
[edit]The company is developing the ES-30, a hybrid-electric 30-passenger regional airliner.[1] The ES-30 is planned to have a fully electric range of 108 nautical miles (200 kilometres; 124 miles) or a 215 nmi (398 km; 247 mi) range when also using generators powered by aviation biofuel. A range of 430 nmi (800 km; 490 mi) could be possible if only 25 passengers are carried. Heart plans to have a proof-of-concept aircraft in 2024 and start flight tests in 2026, with an entry into service in 2028. The Garmin G3000 avionics suite will be installed with custom functions related to managing the aircraft's electrical systems.[2]
History
[edit]In March 2021, Heart signed a letter of intent with Finnair which would allow the airline to purchase up to 20 ES-19 aircraft.[3] In July 2021, United Airlines announced their intention to purchase up to 200 ES-19 aircraft to be operated on United Express routes by Mesa Airlines.[4] In September 2020, Sounds Air of New Zealand signed a letter of intent to purchase ES-19 aircraft.[5] In September 2022, Heart Aerospace cancelled their plans for the ES-19 to focus on the ES-30, and stated their intention to convert existing ES-19 commitments to the ES-30.[6]
In September 2022, Air Canada acquired a CA$5 million equity stake in Heart as part of a purchase agreement for 30 ES-30 aircraft, which are expected to enter service in 2028.[7] United Airlines, Sounds Air and Mesa Airlines reconfirmed their interest in the ES-30. Heart Aerospace also has letters of intent from Braathens Regional Airlines, Icelandair and SAS for a total of 96 aircraft, 6 units with Sevenair,[citation needed] and an additional 40 units for lessor Rockton.[1]
By May 2024, the ES-30 had undergone substantial redesigns, opting for a combination of electric motors and standard turboprops, such as the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6, and eliminating the large under-fuselage battery bay and strut bracing, while maintaining payload-range goals.[8] With 250 orders, 120 options, and 191 letters of intent, Heart Aerospace plans to have an uncrewed demonstrator fly in 2025 in the Los Angeles area, with a piloted prototype's first flight expected in 2026.[8]
In September 2024, the British regional airline Loganair has expressed interest in buying the ES-30. They plan to launch the aircraft on routes in the Scottish Highlands, from their base in Inverness.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Perry, Dominic; Gothenburg (26 September 2022). "Heart Aerospace's scaled-up ES-30 ambitions get airline backing". Flight Global. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- ^ O'Connor, Kate (9 December 2021). "Garmin G3000 Selected For ES-19 Electric Airliner". AVweb. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ Niknam, Majid (25 March 2021). "Finnair to Increase Beat of Heart Aerospace". Airways Magazine. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ Lampert, Allison (13 July 2021). "United Airlines to buy 100, 19-seat electric planes from Heart Aerospace". Reuters. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ "Sounds Air aims to offer first regional zero-emission flights". RNZ. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
- ^ "Heart Aerospace's scaled-up ES-30 ambitions get airline backing". FlightGlobal. 26 September 2022.
- ^ Dyck, Darryl (15 September 2022). "Air Canada signs deal to buy 30 electric-hybrid aircraft from Heart Aerospace". Canadian Press. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ a b Dominic Perry (15 May 2024). "Heart reveals ES-30 redesign as it switches to off-the-shelf hybrid powertrain". FlightGlobal.
