Glasgow-based regional operator Loganair and Swedish hybrid-electric airframer Heart Aerospace have today announced an exclusive partnership which will see the companies work towards decarbonizing regional air travel in the United Kingdom. Loganair, the UK’s largest regional airline by both fleet size and number of passengers, will exclusively collaborate with Heart Aerospace on establishing use-cases for hybrid electric aircraft within the carrier’s network, with a focus on evaluating the ES-30, a hybrid-electric 30-seater aircraft which is to be manufactured by Heart.
Simon Newitt, President & CCO of Heart Aerospace, said that, “Loganair has been a champion of regional aviation for decades, and we’re thrilled to partner with them to bring cleaner air travel to the UK.
“This collaboration is an important step in our mission to make air travel more sustainable and we look forward to bringing clean and convenient solutions to Loganair in support of its ambitious goal to achieve net zero emissions across its operations by 2040.”
Within this partnership, Loganair hopes to work with Heart Aerospace to engage with both the Scottish and wider UK Governments, as well as airports around its network, in order to better highlight the benefits of hybrid-electric propulsion technologies. In addition, Loganair will join the Advisory Board of Heart Aerospace, alongside other worldwide airlines, governments, leasing companies, and airports, all of which are committed to the decarbonisation of aviation.
“This is a very exciting and significant moment for Loganair and for the future of sustainable UK regional flying. This exclusive collaboration with Heart Aerospace brings together two organisations who share a passion to see aviation emissions reduce in a realistic and meaningful way, and we definitely see the ES-30 as being a strong contender to emerge as one of the leaders in this space,” said Loganair CEO Luke Farajallah, adding that, “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.”
The Heart ES-30 will have a range of 200 kilometres at full capacity when powered entirely by electricity. This increases to 400 kilometres with hybrid propulsion, or up to 800 kilometres when carrying 25 passengers. The type has so far attracted 250 firm orders, which also include options and purchase rights for a further 120 aircraft. The airframer also has letters of intent for up to 191 aircraft.
Loganair signed an agreement with Cranfield Aerospace in January which will see it begin a trial of zero-emissions propulsion in 2027. Meanwhile, fellow Scottish carrier Ecojet recently placed its second firm order with ZeroAvia, this time for the purchase of 22 ZA2000 powertrains capable of powering aircraft with up to 90 seats, for use on its fleet of ATR 72-600 aircraft. Ecojet aims to begin hydrogen-electric flights from its Edinburgh base by 2026 and be operating entirely emissions-free by 2028.
Cianan Kelly entered the sphere of aviation journalism two years ago with his debut publication, Connecting the UK, which was met with acclaim by enthusiasts and industry professionals alike. He joined Fresh Aviation in late 2022 with the aim of contributing to high-quality aviation press and research, with a focus on sustainability and the regional aviation sector.