Posted on 07/14/2021 9:18:04 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
United Airlines and one of its regional carriers each plan to buy up to 100 small electric planes that could be used on short-haul United flights.
The 19-seat planes could be used to fly passengers up to 250 miles by the end of the decade, United said Tuesday morning.
United’s venture fund and its partner Mesa Airlines will be investing in the company developing the plane, Sweden’s Heart Aerospace. Both airlines agreed to purchase 100 of the planes if they meet United’s specifications once developed.
A plane with just 19 seats is small for a carrier like United, especially since the airline recently announced plans to buy 270 planes in a push to swap out small regional jets for new, larger planes that customers tend to prefer. But the electric planes are a greener, more cost-effective way to handle short flights serving smaller communities, and United hopes improvements in technology will eventually make larger electric aircraft feasible.
"We’re getting a toehold in it,” said Michael Leskinen, United’s Vice President Corp Development and Investor Relations.
The electric planes should also be cheaper to operate than traditional 19-seat jets, which could help bring new or additional air service to small cities where those flights would be too expensive today, Arizona-based Mesa said in a news release.
Mesa used to operate a large fleet of 19-seat planes but “practically all 19 seat aircraft have been withdrawn from commercial service” over the past 30 years because they were too costly, Mesa said.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Wonder how they will do in a thunderstorm...........................
Electric planes? What could possibly go wrong?
Aaaand they just lost another customer.
No food but you do have to peddle the generator
250 miles? By the time you drive to the airport, park your car, shuttle to the terminal, check your bags, stand in the TSA line, wait at the gate, get on the plane, taxi to the runway, take-off, fly, land, collect your bags, shuttle to the car lot... you’d be better off driving.
Reason #549 not to fly.
The extension cords must be super long!
(satire)
and that’s if they don’t lose your bags.
only skinny people allowed
Power required must be enormous. Better not have to land at an airport without a generating station.
ML/NJ
Great idea...you go first!
The ES-19 won’t be ready for flight testing until 2026, according to Heart Aerospace website. But its OK if you lie, exaggerate and bullshit for leftist-green causes. You still get praised for it.
**Wonder how they will do in a thunderstorm.........**
Actually the plan is to have several lightning rods on it, to get a free battery charge when possible. (Sarc. I think)
Go Wrong, Go Wrong, Go Wrong, Go Wrong
Best to avoid any holding pattern delays. 🧐
How long does it take to charge it after the flight , sounds like a money losing dream
Those Lithium fires are a real killer in flight.
and if the motor quits, are the planes so heavy that you’ll drop like a rock? Batteries do weigh a bit.
Can you imagine a fire in one, mid air? They don’t even know how to put out a Tesla that catches and they burn really hot with deadly fumes.
“Electric planes? What could possibly go wrong?”
This: Eviation’s Electric Alice Aircraft Catches Fire During Ground Tests
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