Air Canada just ordered 30 electric planes that can carry passengers up to 500 miles as the race for airlines to cut emissions intensifies

Source: Taylor Rains | · BUSINESS INSIDER · | September 15, 2022

Air Canada announced Thursday that it had ordered 30 ES-30 electric aircraft from Heart Aerospace.

• The plane can fly up to 124 miles in all-electric mode or up to 500 miles with capacity limitations.

• The Swedish manufacturer has garnered firm orders from United Airlines and Mesa Airlines.

Air Canada is one step closer to becoming a greener company.

The Montréal-based airline announced Thursday that it had ordered 30 of Heart Aerospace's ES-30 electric aircraft. Air Canada has also gained a $5 million equity stake in the Swedish manufacturer. 

Scheduled to enter service in 2028, the plane is set to seat 30 passengers in a two-by-one configuration and fly up to 124 miles, or 200 kilometers, when in all-electric mode. 

The range can extend to 249 miles when the battery is supplemented by generators and 497 miles when the capacity is limited to 25 people, according to Air Canada.

"Air Canada has taken a leadership position in the industry to address climate change," Michael Rousseau, the company's president and CEO, said in a press release. "The introduction into our fleet of the ES-30 electric regional aircraft from Heart Aerospace will be a step forward to our goal of net zero emissions by 2050."

The move complements Air Canada's decarbonization effort. According to Rousseau, the airline is developing sustainable aviation fuel and a carbon-capture system to reduce its CO2 emissions.

In April, Air Canada operated four flights from San Francisco to its Canadian bases of Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal using sustainable aviation fuel, sourced from the oil-refining company Neste.