European travellers could take electric flights on some of the continent’s most popular routes by the early 2030s, thanks to rapid advancements in tech.
ADVEReadNOWISEMENT
ADVEReadNOWISEMENT
“Many people still think airplanes running on batteries are a distant dream,” says Carlos López de la Osa, aviation technical manager at the European Federation for Transport & Environment (T&E). “But electric and hybrid flights are a core part of the solution to making short-haul travel more sustainable, and less dependent on imported jet fuel.”
With gas prices still volatile due to tensions in the Middle East, fuel-free electric flights are an increasingly attractive prospect. As well as shielding passengers from fossil fuel price shocks, they produce less air and noise pollution, and could connect remote areas often overlooked by major jet-liner operators.
Which European flight routes could go electric?
European start-ups are racing to build electric aircraft that could travel distances of up to 500 kilometres.
That would make them capable of serving a quarter of Europe’s flight routes, according to analysis by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) – including some of the continent’s most popular.
Potential routes that fall within the 500km range include London to Dublin, Athens to Santorini, Barcelona to Ibiza, Nice to Corsica, and Rome to Sardinia.
While France has taken aim at short-haul flights by banning routes where a train alternative takes less than 2.5 hours, and Spain has proposed a similar ban, routes like these – serving islands or crossing water – could not realistically be replaced by rail. Electric aircraft could help cut emissions on journeys like these, where flying is likely to remain one of the only practical options.
German start-up Vaeridion estimates its electric aircraft could eventually operate at under €0.50 per passenger-kilometre, comparable to a first-class rail fare. Future ticket prices would also depend on airport charges, taxes and airline pricing strategies
Vaeridion is building a nine-seat electric aircraft, which it plans to be cleared to carry passengers by 2030. The company has secured commitments from airlines and jet operators to buy 100 aircraft.
The small size of first-generation electric aircraft means they’re unlikely to compete with commercial jets, and rather than immediately serving mainstream short-haul routes would initially be used to connect rural regions that are not connected by mainstream flights.
How far from reality are commercial electric flights?
Battery weight long made electric aviation impractical, but rapid technological advancements are helping to tackle this problem.
Advances in electric motors, battery integration and aircraft design have significantly improved the outlook for electric aviation. But battery energy density is still dictating the weight, size and range of fully electric aircraft.
Although major players have been lagging on electric flight developments, with Airbus recently delaying the development of its zero-emission aircraft, European innovators are filling the gap.
Stringent climate policies, shorter regional routes and a dense network of smaller airports make Europe the perfect test ground for battery-powered aircraft.
Partnering with KLM, Dutch aerospace company Elysian Aircraft is developing a large-scale battery-electric aircraft, designed to carry 90 people over distances of up to 1,000km as early as 2035.
French start-up Aura Aero, meanwhile, is developing a 19-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft with a range of up to 1,500km. It aims to gain certification in late 2029 and plans to eventually scale up to produce aircraft with 40 to 90 seats.
“Being hybrid will help our aircraft go further, but it still cuts emissions by up to 80 per cent – and it can easily use sustainable aviation fuel [SAF] rather than conventional jet fuel,” says Antoine Toulemont, the company’s European affairs advisor. “Even at today’s fuel prices, we estimate a 50 per cent reduction in direct operating costs.”
Are electric flights a green travel choice?
Although SAF is expected to play an important role in decarbonising long-distance flying by reducing reliance on conventional jet fuel, supplies remain limited and experts have questioned the sustainability claims of producers.
Many argue that truly sustainable supplies are unlikely to be available in quantities large enough to meet aviation’s continued growth, making direct electrification a greener option.
But even this comes with caveats: while battery-electric aircraft eliminate in-flight fuel use, their overall climate impact still depends on how the electricity used to charge them is generated and the emissions associated with manufacturing batteries and other parts.
“Electric flight will be an essential part of a low-carbon world of travel, especially when it comes to decarbonising the routes such as London-Dublin, which can’t easily be replaced by other means,” says Anna Hughes, director of campaign group Flight Free UK.
“But we need to keep one eye on reality: this type of flight is only zero carbon when powered by renewables.”
With energy demand set to rise in line with electrification, Hughes warns that “non essential activities such as flying” should not be prioritised over essentials such as home heating and food production.
“The reality of decarbonising travel will inevitably be travelling a lot less, investing heavily in rail, and only then electrifying the flights that remain,” she adds.
In July, the European Commission proposed broadening aviation decarbonisation funding so support could also be directed towards electric aircraft development, alongside SAF and hydrogen-powered aircraft.