How Close Are We to Flying on Electric Planes? It Might Be Closer Than You Think.

“And we hope to see you back here in this same spot in 3 years for what we hope will be the first commercial flight on a hybrid electric plane.”

That remark at a recent event caught me by surprise, as I wasn’t aware the race to fly electric planes in commercial service was this close to becoming a reality.

And maybe it isn’t, as none of the 3 plane manufacturers hoping to provide hybrid-electric aircraft that operate the way we typically think of have anything that’s approved for passenger use — let alone in production to start selling to airlines. Fully electric aircraft with vertical takeoffs and landings, on the other hand, may be further along in manufacturing but face greater challenges.

So, how close are we to flying on electric or hybrid-electric planes? It depends on who you ask and how optimistic they are.

Understanding the Differences: Hybrid eSTOL vs. Fully Electric eVTOL

A major factor in the discussion of hybrid-electric and fully electric aircraft is understanding their differences. The “e” in these names stands for “electric,” while the acronym STOL means “short take off and landing.” Conversely, VTOL stands for “vertical takeoff and landing.” That’s a key differentiator, as fully electric models are focusing on going up and down in tight spaces, much like a helicopter. eSTOL planes are also sometimes called “ultra short” for their shorter runway length requirements during takeoff and landing.

“If electric aircraft are a Tesla, then hybrid planes function like a Toyota Prius,” meaning you can get in and start driving them like other cars you’re used to. That’s according to Marc Ausman, vice president of sales and support at Electra, one of the manufacturers working to produce commercially-viable hybrid planes for passenger flights. With a fully electric plane that takes off vertically and needs a high-powered charger, there are additional logistical challenges. Hybrid manufacturers are working on planes that can use existing airport operational models and existing fuel types without requiring special pilots’ licenses.

In either model, the aircraft are quieter and more environmentally friendly — due to reduced or non-existent emissions — than standard aircraft that rely entirely on fuel for power. They can also serve points of arrival and departure that typical planes (even small ones) can’t reach because of noise or logistics factors.

How Close Are Fully Electric Passenger Flights?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a plan in place for certifying eVTOL aircraft, and their certification is considered a top priority. That process (which isn’t fast) may make or break plans for so-called air taxis at the “no-car” Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

In addition to rigorous safety testing across prototypes and final-build models, companies like Archer and Joby Aviation that hope to provide these services don’t have an approved aircraft yet. Once they do, they will start manufacturing them and selling flights. Beta Technologies, on the other hand, recently landed an electric plane in New York with 4 passengers on board.

Even then, there are logistics challenges, as most airspace is controlled by towers at airports. They think about avoiding accidents through the lens of typical planes’ takeoff and landing paths. Ensuring aircraft don’t collide while factoring in different trajectories is no small task.

Once certified to carry paying passengers, where could these electric taxis take you? Their range is rather short: just 50 miles. That’s much shorter than the range of traditional helicopters, which fly up to 500 miles in a single trip.

How Close Are Hybrid-Electric Passenger Flights?

JSX, the nontraditional carrier that operates passenger flights out of private plane terminals in something akin to “business class for everyone,” is rather optimistic that it will become the first commercial operator to fly passengers on hybrid planes. It hopes to do so by 2028, with CEO Alex Wilcox saying earlier this year he hopes that first flight will depart from JSX’s hometown airport: John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, California.

In fact, JSX plans to acquire 300 hybrid-electric planes by 2028, thanks to purchase options and confirmed orders with 3 manufacturers: Electra, Aura Aero, and Heart Aerospace. Interestingly, these manufacturers aren’t attempting to make planes of the same size.

Electra is working on its 9-seat EL9 plane, while Aura is working on a 19-seat Aura Aero Era, and Heart Aerospace’s ES-30 has 30 seats. JSX has 32 confirmed orders with 50 options from Electra, 50 orders and 100 options with Aura, and 50 orders with 50 options from Heart.

“We hope to be the first airline with hybrid electric flights, hopefully in 3 years,” Wilcox says. These will be “the quietest planes available” and could make up 20% of JSX’s fleet, he added.

Is 2028 realistic for hybrid planes entering commercial service? “I can’t speak for others, but we are hoping for 2029,” Ausman said. “The safety process takes time, as there’s typically a 10-year development cycle. We’re about 5 years into that, so 2029.” Electra has been flying its prototype for roughly 1.5 years, for context.

However, both Ausman and Wilcox agreed that there’s a major confluence of public interest in sustainability in air travel, interest from investors, and battery capabilities that didn’t exist a few years ago. Those are pushing developments forward, as Heart (the manufacturer of the largest model) is hoping for public test flights in upstate New York this year.

Hybrid planes, unlike their fully electric counterparts, can enter current airline and airport operations without major adjustments. Their takeoffs, fuel supply, communications, and licensing requirements use existing systems. And while they work like a plug-in hybrid car — meaning you can plug them in and run entirely on battery or use the hybrid model that charges the battery when using fuel — there’s no mandatory installation of chargers to start incorporating these aircraft into an airline’s fleet.

What Advantages Do Electric and Hybrid Aircraft Offer?

With existing aircraft, the cost of their major components is consistently increasing. The major component for these new aircraft — batteries — is getting better and cheaper every year. And manufacturers are focused on adopting existing technologies from the automotive industry (the CCS2 standard) for charging while also enjoying benefits like reduced emissions and noise that would allow them to reach airports that don’t accept loud planes or have strict environmental concerns.

There are some key differences in these aircraft, however:

As for the biggest negative? According to Ausman, it’s the timeline. “We hear from the public that they’re frustrated about waiting for these lengthy safety and regulatory processes.” Unfortunately, the planes can’t be used right now, even though they’re a “solution for today’s problems.”

Final Thoughts

In the best-case scenario, there are people who think we might see electric and/or hybrid flights within 3 years. Others put the timeline at 4 years.

Whichever model you’re using, the fact that we may see quieter, greener planes enter commercial service is exciting. The possibilities these aircraft open up are even more exciting, as they could serve airports that don’t currently receive scheduled commercial flights for various reasons.

Whether you’re interested in these planes because of their technology, environmental benefits, range, or service prospects, the next few years are going to be very interesting.