Finnair is betting on an electric flying and has signed a letter of interest to acquire up to 20 Heart Aerospace Electric ES-19 aircraft, currently under development. The ES-19 is a 19 passenger electric aircraft which is expected to enter service in 2026.
On Thursday (March 25, 2021) Finnair announced that they have signed a letter of interest with Heart Aerospace to acquire up to 20 Electric ES-19 aircraft which is currently under development. Heart’s ES-19 can accommodate 19 passengers on short-haul routes and is expected to enter commercial service in 2026. In Thursday’s announcement, Finnair’s Vice President of Sustainability, Anne Larilahti, said,
“Finnair believes electric aviation will be one of the tools for the future of flying. It will help to promote responsible and sustainable aviation especially on short routes, in an era where climate change will increasingly dominate the agenda. We want to be actively involved in developing and implementing new technologies which enable carbon-neutral flying. Solving the climate challenge of flying is essential so that the social and economic benefits of aviation can continue. Many of the measures require collaboration across industries in tandem with partners playing a key role in our ongoing sustainability work.”
Also commenting on the new collaboration, Heart Aerospace’s CEO, Anders Forslund, added,
“We're excited about Finnair signing this letter of interest for our ES-19 aircraft. Finnair’s climate goals are among the most ambitious in the airline industry, and we believe that our electric aircraft can play an important role in creating zero emissions regional travel. We've been working closely together in the Nordic Network for some time. We are very impressed by the dedication and commitment of the Finnair team, and we're thankful for their support as we take the next steps in building and certifying the ES-19.”
Finnair has been a member of the Nordic Electric Aviation initiative since 2019. The goal of the organization is to drive the development of electric flying, with a focus on the standardization of electric air infrastructure in Nordic countries. The Nordic Electric Aviation initiative also aims to develop business models for regional point-to-point connectivity and the development of aircraft technology for Nordic weather conditions.
Based in Gothenburg, Heart Aerospace is a Swedish aerospace startup. The company is currently developing the ES-19 electric aircraft, which will accommodate 19 passengers to a range of 400km. The aircraft is expected to enter passenger commercial revenue service in 2026.
Source(s): Finnair, Heart Aerospace