Page 29 - bneMag Dec22

bne December 2022 Companies & Markets I 29
Pipistrel seeks future in electric passenger aircraft
Kester Eddy in Ajdovšcina in western Slovenia
The world's first commercial, all-electric aircraft fully certified to carry passengers is now in service, and offering regular flights typically priced at around $100.
But the Velis Electro takes off not from some exotic airfield in sun-drenched California, nor even locations associated with innovative aviation such as Paris or Farnborough, but from a grass strip in a tiny village with the fairy-tale name of Shipmeadow, near Norwich, eastern England.
And if this unique aeroplane's current operations' centre seems unlikely, it is the product of an even more unlikely country: Slovenia, an Alpine state with a population
just 1.9 million.
“Our passengers go, 'Where? You mean it's from Slovakia?' I say no, Slovenia. It's the part of what was Yugoslavia, the nearest bit to Italy,” says Sergey Grachev, CEO of Nebo Air, the company he co-founded to introduce the Velis Electro from Shipmeadow to the UK, and later, the world.
But perhaps it's better to dispel any myths before they take root; nobody is flying from an East Anglia grass strip to exotic global locations any time soon. The Pipistrel Velis Electro has the endurance for about one hour's flying time (plus 20 minutes for emergencies), and it can only carry
a pilot and one paying passenger.
But “paying” is key: the Velis Electro is, crucially, “type certified” in aviation speak, meaning the authorities deem it as safe as any Boeing or Airbus product for use in commercial aviation.
As such, it is pioneering a new age of flight: one that is green – the aircraft can be recharged from a solar array in an hour – and cheap.
“The fuel cost to fly the Velis Electro for an hour is about €2. For one hour of flight on a [similarly light] Cessna 152 for example, you need 30 litres of fuel, which nowadays costs
The Velis Electro aircraft can be recharged from a solar array in an hour. / Pipistrel
around €60. So, €60 compared to €2! And if you use your own charging system, it's effectively free,” Ivo Boscarol, the founder of Pipistrel, tells bne IntelliNews in an interview.
Moreover, an electric aircraft requires minimal maintenance compared to traditional powered flight, with no need to change spark plugs, oil or oil filters.
Silence is golden
In addition, though this is not initially obvious, its most important attraction is silence – a fantastic advantage in a world ever more concerned about noise pollution.
“We are bringing back flight to airports in urban areas where it has been forbidden. We have more than 120 airports across Europe, in Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France, which are
“Our passengers go, 'Where? You mean it's from Slovakia?' I say no, Slovenia. It's the part of what was Yugoslavia, the nearest bit to Italy”
closed because of local civil initiatives over noise. ... But with the Velis Electro, if you don't see the aircraft in the air, you don't know it's there,” Boscarol adds, eyes alight with enthusiasm.
As a result, the demand for the aircraft, which sell for some €200,000 apiece, is growing, for leisure, private travel and early training of professional pilots.
“All the [flying] schools – and we are selling six to seven aircraft a month – the schools are buying our aircraft because of noise,” he says. “We are revitalising general aviation airports which have been closed. Noise is the main point today.”
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