To the point
On September 15, 2022, Air Canada announced the purchase of 30 ES-30 hybrid electric aircraft from Heart Aerospace. We will have to wait until 2028 to board these aircraft, but they will have the advantage of generating no emissions in flight.
The ES-30 electric regional plane
Here are some interesting features of the ES-30 electric aircraft:
- The electric range of this aircraft is 200 km, can reach 400 km with a hybrid power supply and up to 800 km if it is not at full capacity.
- It takes 30 to 50 minutes to recharge the aircraft’s batteries.
- Powered by lithium-ion batteries, the aircraft will be able to carry 30 passengers, with a configuration of three seats per row.
The goal in sustainability
This announcement contributes to Air Canada’ s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Purchasing electric aircraft is not the only way to combat climate change; several new technologies such as sustainable aviation fuels and carbon capture are contributing to this and have been adopted by Air Canada and other airlines.
In addition, Air Canada acquired a US$5 million equity stake in Swedish company Heart Aerospace, whose mission is to ensure a sustainable future and standardize electric air travel.
Although we won’t be able to board these planes until 2028 with Air Canada, it is possible to offset the CO2e emissions of your Air Canada flights through their partner CHOOSE, and see the carbon offset projects that benefit from it. And of course, until then we can collect Aeroplan points to try it out with our points in 2028.
Bottom line
The arrival of electric aircraft in air transport is something to watch out for in the coming years. We will be able to see the impact of these 30 ES-30 electric regional aircraft onAir Canada‘s short-haul flights as early as 2028. Until then, we can continue our environmental efforts by offsetting the CO2e emissions of our flights.
Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
