10 Pics of Air Canada’s New Electric Airplane To Leave You Speechless

This new Swedish-designed airplane is being hailed a revolution in aviation.

Swedish aerospace and defense company Heart Aerospace revealed new designs for its electric-powered passenger aircraft on Friday. The ES-30 is designed to fly regional routes, carrying 30 passengers up to 250 miles with near-zero carbon emissions. Also on Friday, Air Canada and the Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab announced they had become minority shareholders in Heart Aerospace with their respective investments of $5 million. Air Canada also announced a purchase order for 30 of the new ES-30 electric passenger plane.

“The ES-30 is an electric airplane that the industry can actually use. We have designed a cost efficient airplane that allows airlines to deliver good service on a wide range of routes,” said Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace. “With the ES-30 we can start cutting emissions from air travel well before the end of this decade and the response from the market has been fantastic.”

The ES-30 replaces an earlier 19-seat design called the ES-19. The ES-30 will use batteries to power electric motors which in turn drive propellers. A longer-range version can fly up to 500 miles with 25 passengers.

To secure reserve energy requirements, the ES-30 will employ a reserve-hybrid configuration with two turbo generators using sustainable aviation fuel. The generators could also be used to compliment the battery-powered engines for the ES-30’s own version of cruise control for longer flights.

Passengers will sit in a three-abreast cabin configuration. There will be plenty of stowage available in large overhead bins in addition to the plane’s external baggage and cargo compartment.

Air Canada invested $5 million in Heart Aerospace and announced an order for 30 of the ES-30 aircraft, laying the groundwork for lowering its carbon footprint in the future.

“Air Canada is very pleased to partner with Heart Aerospace on the development of this revolutionary aircraft,” Michael Rousseau, president and chief executive of Air Canada, said in a statement. “We have been working hard with much success to reduce our footprint, but we know that meeting our net-zero emissions goals will require new technology such as the ES-30.”

Saab also invested $5 million in Heart Aerospace as part of its commitment to a more sustainable aviation industry.

“This underlines our commitment to innovative technology and solutions for sustainable aviation,” Micael Johansson, president and CEO of Saab, said in a statement. “Heart is a pioneer within commercial electric aviation and we look forward to contributing to the future of aviation with our experience of developing solutions at the forefront of technology.”

Previous orders from United Airlines and Mesa Air Group for 200 of the earlier ES-19 electric airplanes (with an option for an additional 100 planes) have been reconfirmed for the new ES-30 design.

“From the beginning Heart and United have been on the same page – with an acute focus on safety, reliability, and sustainability,” Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, said in a statement. “Heart’s exciting new design – which includes expanded passenger capacity from 19 to 30 seats, and a state-of-the-art reserve-hybrid engine – is the type of revolutionary thinking that will bring true innovation to aviation.”

“We are thrilled to have two such strong partners as Saab and Air Canada join our mission to electrify regional air travel. Growing up in Sweden, Saab is synonymous with aerospace, and our partnership will not only support our program, but help us to become a part of the proud Swedish aerospace heritage,” Heart Aerospace executive Forslund said. “Air Canada is a strategically important partner with one of the world’s largest networks operated by regional turboprops, and as a progressive, future-leaning company.”

The ES-30 is expected to enter service in 2028.