North America-based fractional ownership provider Jet It and its European affiliate JetClub are the launch customers for the all-electric, cabin-class Bye Aerospace eFlyer 800, the companies said yesterday. Powered by a pair of Safran Engineus electric motors, the eFlyer 800 will be able to carry seven passengers, fly up to 500 nm with 45-minute IFR reserves, and cruise at speeds up to 320 knots. Certification is planned in 2025.
Revealing its initial customers, Bye Aerospace said Jet It and JetClub signed a purchase agreement for a fleet of eFlyer 800s, though it did not detail the number of firm orders and options. The agreement also includes four eFlyer 4 airplane purchase deposits.
As launch customers, Jet It founder and CEO Glenn Gonzales and JetClub founder and CEO Vishal Hiremath will join Bye Aerospace’s strategic advisory council for the eFlyer.
“As an aviation company run by aviators, we believe electric propulsion is the next major innovation in air travel, and Bye Aerospace will be one of the very few manufacturers able to certify an environmentally sustainable aircraft that meets the needs of our expanding customer base,” Gonzales said.
Bye Aerospace estimates that the eFlyer 800 will operate at about one-fifth the costs of current twin turboprops.
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