Page 71 - World Airnews Magazine January 2020 Edition

NEWS DIGITAL

FIRST FULLY ELECTRIC

COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT TAKES

FLIGHT

The world’s first electric commercial during its maiden flight in
Richmond, British Columbia Photograph: Jonathan Hayward/AP

ground. electrifying its fleet of more than 40
The International Civil Aviation seaplanes.
The world’s first fully electric com- Organisation (ICAO) has encouraged The e-plane has to be tested further to
mercial aircraft has taken its inaugural test greater use of efficient biofuel engines and confirm it is reliable and safe. In addition,
flight, taking off from the Canadian city of lighter aircraft materials, as well as route the electric motor must be approved and
Vancouver and flying for 15 minutes. optimisation. certified by regulators.
The e-plane - a 62-year-old, six-passenger
“This proves that commercial aviation DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver seaplane In Ottawa, transport minister Marc
in all-electric form can work,” said Roei retrofitted with a 750hp electric motor - Garneau said ahead of the maiden flight
Ganzarski, chief executive of Australian was piloted by Greg McDougall, founder that he had his “fingers crossed that the
engineering firm magniX. and chief executive of Harbour Air. electric plane will work well”. If it does,
The company designed the plane’s motor he said: “It could set a trend for more
“For me that flight was just like flying
and worked in partnership with Harbour a Beaver, but it was a Beaver on electric environmentally friendly flying.”
Air, which ferries half a million passengers steroids. I actually had to back off on the Battery power is also a challenge. An
a year between Vancouver, Whistler ski power,” he said. aircraft like the one flown on Tuesday could
resort and nearby islands and coastal fly only about 160km on lithium battery
communities. McDougall took the plane on a short power, said Ganzarski. While that’s not far,
Ganzarski said the technology would loop along the Fraser River near Vancouver it’s sufficient for the majority of short-haul
mean significant cost savings for airlines international airport in front of around 100 flights run by Harbour Air.
onlookers soon after sunrise. The flight
and zero emissions. lasted less than 15 minutes, according to an “The range now is not where we’d
“This signifies the start of the electric AFP journalist on the scene. love it to be, but it’s enough to start the
aviation age,” he said. “Our goal is to actually electrify the entire revolution,” said Ganzarski, who predicts
batteries and electric motors will eventually
fleet,” said McDougall. be developed to power longer flights.
ARE ELECTRIC VEHICLES REALLY SO On top of fuel efficiency, the company While the world waits, he said cheaper
CLIMATE FRIENDLY? would save millions in maintenance costs short-haul flights powered by electricity
Civil aviation is one of the fastest-growing because electric motors require “drastical- could transform the way people connect
sources of carbon emissions as people ly” less upkeep, Mr McDougall said. and where they work. “If people are willing
increasingly take to the skies, and new However, Harbour Air will have to wait to drive an hour to work, why not fly 15
technologies have been slow to get off the at least two years before it can begin minutes to work?” he said. Q

World Airnews | January Extra 2020
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