UK regional airline Loganair has launched a partnership with hybrid-electric aircraft developer Heart Aerospace to advance ways to reduce carbon emissions from short-haul flights. The agreement announced on September 4 is the latest green initiative by the Scotland-based carrier, which earlier this year forged partnerships with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions around its planned hydrogen-powered version of the Britten-Norman Islander aircraft.
Loganair said it will explore use cases for the 30-passenger ES-30 hybrid-electric airliner that Sweden-based Heart is developing. From its hub airport in Glasgow, the airline mainly operates domestic flights within the UK, including to several small and remote communities in Scotland. It has committed to achieving zero emissions across its operations by 2040.
The ES-30 is expected to have a fully electric range of around 109 nm, which would double when the aircraft is using its full hybrid-electric powertrain. Heart said operators will have the option to fly routes of up to around 436 nm with just 25 passengers on board. The company said it now holds firm orders for 250 ES-30s, plus options and purchase rights for another 120, and letters of intent covering 191 more units.
In 2023, Loganair confirmed that it is also evaluating ZeroAvia’s hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system as a way to decarbonize smaller commuter aircraft in its fleet, such as the Twin Otter. The airline’s CEO, Luke Farajallah, said the ES-30 is a “strong contender to emerge as one of the leaders in this space.”
In this week’s announcement, the carrier and Heart said they will step up engagement with both the Scottish and UK governments, as well as with airports, to build the case for eliminating carbon from flights. “At Loganair we are very proud of our environmental work and achievements to date and we see this as the next logical step along the path to a greener future for UK regional aviation,” Farajallah commented.