First flight of a commercial electric airplane
The Canadian seaplane airline Harbour Air and Magnix, an aviation engineering company based in Redmond (WA, USA), have successfully completed the inaugural flight of the world’s first all-electric commercial aircraft.
The flight of the ePlane, a six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver magnified by a 750-horsepower (560 kW) magni500 propulsion system, took place on the Fraser River at the Harbour Air Seaplanes terminal near Vancouver on 10 December 2019.
Harbour Air CEO and founder Greg McDougall: "Today, we made history. Canada has long held an iconic role in the history of aviation, and to be part of this incredible world-first milestone is something we can all be really proud of." Both partners will now begin the certification and approval process for the propulsion system and the retrofitting of aircraft. (ah)