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Initiative To Pave Way For Electric Regional Aviation

Graham Warwick October 10, 2023

 

Dutch sustainable airline startup Lucy has signed a letter of intent with Maeve Aerospace for 10 electric regional aircraft.

Credit: Lucy/Maeve Aerospace

A group of European aviation and mobility organizations have joined forces to jointly pave the way for the introduction of electric regional aviation.

The agreement expands the Power Up initiative launched in 2021 in the Netherlands.

The Power Up memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed by the operators of Eindhoven, Groningen, Lelystad, Maastricht Aachen, Rotterdam The Hague and Schipol airports. Also signing were operators ASL Group, Evia Aero, KLM and Lucy and aircraft developers Maeve, Vaeridion and VoltAero. Dutch Railways, consultants Deloitte and NACO, and Dutch aerospace center Royal NLR also signed.

Under their two-year agreement, the partners plan to define the airport operational processes and passenger experience for electric regional aircraft. Test flights are planned. VoltAero CEO Jean Botti says the Power Up initiative is an opportunity to show how the French startup’s hybrid-electric Cassio and other electric aircraft can offer efficient air mobility with low carbon emissions and reduced noise.

Since its launch in 2021, the Power Up initiative has been studying the feasibility and relevance of electric aircraft technology for regional transportation, looking at electric, hybrid-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft with nine-50 seats and ranges of 150-750 km (90-460 mi.). The regional airports in Power Up plan to be operationally ready by 2026 for electric commercial passenger flights.