Surf Air Mobility has confirmed its intention to include Electra’s hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft in its planned fleet. Under an agreement announced on Thursday, the U.S. regional air services group said it has secured “preferred delivery positions” for 90 of the nine-passenger aircraft, which are expected to be able to take off and land in just 150 feet.
Electra aims to certify its aircraft under FAA’s Part 23 rules in 2028 and expects to start flight testing a full-scale prototype in 2026. Surf Air said it will deploy the aircraft with its Southern Airways Express and Mokulele Airlines subsidiaries.
The two companies will work together to define the most suitable routes for the eSTOL blown-wing design, with Electra maintaining that sectors of between 50 and 500 miles will be the most cost-effective. Under the agreement, Surf Air may also lease the aircraft to other operators providing lift for its regional air mobility network. According to Electra, Surf Air’s “aircraft-as-a-service” approach to providing finance and support for smaller Part 135 operators will help new entrants refresh regional air service with new routes.
Surf Air is already working to convert the Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft to run on a hybrid-electric powertrain it is developing. It has also committed to acquiring Regent’s 12-seat Viceroy electric sea glider.
“[Electra’s] innovations around hybrid-electric, short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft—which can essentially take off and land on a football field-sized space—will unlock tremendous opportunities within the changing landscape of regional air mobility,” commented Surf Air Mobility CEO Stan Little. “We intend to leverage our leading position to become the definitive launch platform for new advanced air mobility aircraft technologies, such as Electra.”
As of January, Electra was reporting provisional sales agreements with around 36 prospective operators covering more than 2,000 of its aircraft. Last year, it started flight testing a two-seat technology demonstrator called the Goldfinch.
