World’s First Commercial Electric Plane Takes Flight in Canada

The world’s first electric commercial aircraft took its inaugural test flight recently, taking off from the Canadian city of Vancouver.

The Seattle-based engineering company magniX, which has designed the plane’s motor in partnership with Harbour Air, which ferries half a million passengers every year between Vancouver’s, Whistler ski resort to the nearby islands and coastal communities.

Roei Ganzarski, chief executive of magniX. Ganzarski said, “This proves that commercial aviation in all-electric form can work. The technology would mean significant cost savings for airlines not to mention zero emissions. This signifies the start of the electric aviation age.”

Across the world, the civil aviation sector has become one of the fastest-growing sources of carbon emissions on the environment, as people increasingly take to the skies.

International Civil Aviation Organization has always encouraged the use of efficient biofuel engines and lighter aircraft materials, as well as route optimization.

The 62-year-old e-plane took off with six-passengers DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver seaplane, which is retrofitted with an electric motor was flown by Pilot Greg McDougall, who is the founder and chief executive of Harbour Air.

McDougall later said, “For me that flight was just like flying a Beaver, but it was a Beaver on electric steroids. I actually had to back off on the power”.

During the flight McDougall took the plane on a short loop alongside the river Fraser near Vancouver International Airport, while more than 100 onlookers were enjoying the sunrise. The first flight of the electric plane lasted for less than 15 minutes. McDougall said, “Our goal is to actually electrify the entire fleet. There's no reason not to”.

The plane is economic too, McDougall said the company would have save millions in the maintenance costs, as electric motors require ‘drastically’ less upkeep.

Now after the successful test flight, Harbour Air said it would take two years before it can begin electrifying more than 40 seaplanes in its flight. The test flight thus confirms, that the plane is reliable and safe. In addition, the electric motor must be approved and certified by regulators.

Battery power in the plane is also a big challenge. An aircraft like the one flown recently could only fly about 100 miles on lithium battery power. More such improvement needs to be made, also at the same time bringing out an active role in bringing out amicable solution.