United Airlines and MESA, an American regional airline, have declared plans to purchase up to 100 electric aircraft. They plan to purchase the ES-19, a new electric aircraft developed by the Swedish firm Heart Aerospace.
As of now, it is more of an agreement than a clear edict. This is a significant step forward for United in its efforts to lessen the environmental impact of its operations. The arrangement calls for a total of 200 aircraft, with 100 joining the United fleet and 100 joining the MESA fleet.
MESA is a small airline that flies for United and American Airlines under the United Express and American Eagle brands. The ES-19s will fit in nicely with the MESA fleet, which includes Q400s, CRJs, and other regional aircraft.
The Heart ES-19 is a 19-seater battery-powered aircraft with a 250-mile range. Heart plans to launch the aircraft in 2026, but it might enter service by the end of this decade provided all tests and approvals are completed.
The airplane will emit no emissions during operation because it will be powered solely by motor-driven batteries. The electricity used to power the aircraft may still originate from power stations that use fossil fuels, therefore the aircraft are not totally carbon-free.
With a range of about 250 miles and a capacity of only 19 seats, the aircraft will not be the most adaptable in the business, but it will play a role in connecting smaller cities or urban cities to smaller cities. It will be a more cost-effective and ecologically friendly aircraft that could eventually replace older Beechcraft or Jetstream planes.
United may utilize it to connect other adjacent minor cities from hubs like New York or Chicago, or it could even replace its existing regional aircraft. Finnair has expressed interest in this project as well.
