Electra.aero, Inc. (Electra) has announced its new significant milestone, securing 2,200 pre-orders for its EL9 Ultra Short hybrid-electric aircraft. Valued at nearly $9 billion, the impressive order pipeline is one of the largest in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry.
The defining characteristic of the EL9 is its ability to take off and land in just 150 feet, unlocking connectivity to communities lacking traditional aviation infrastructure, allowing access to airports with stringent noise restrictions, and providing opportunities for novel business models in cargo delivery.
Furthermore, the EL9 also provides entirely new logistics capabilities. For the military, it offers the potential for landing on unimproved surfaces, enhancing operational safety, reducing costs, and enabling critical logistics transport to previously unreachable locations.
Meanwhile, the EL9 also offers significant time savings and reduced logistical complexities for travelers, effectively bridging the gap between previously inaccessible locations.
What makes the EL9 successful is Electra’s innovative integration of blown lift aerodynamics with hybrid-electric propulsion. This technology allows for increased access, low noise, affordability, and sustainability, all within a framework that can leverage existing infrastructure.
The nine-passenger EL9 offers a payload capacity of up to 3,000 pounds and a range of up to 1,100 nautical miles, further enhanced by in-flight battery recharging that eliminates the need for ground charging infrastructure.
On the other hand, the ability to operate from compact spaces and unimproved surfaces including grass fields, parking lots, and repurposed heliports, expands the operational envelope, making regional air mobility for both passengers and cargo more cost-effective and readily available.
Operators from various sectors, including helicopter services, private aviation platforms, and regional airlines, are recognizing the advantages of noise reduction, cost efficiency, lower emissions, and improved safety offered by the EL9.
Electra’s existing customers include the world’s leading global provider of vertical flight solutions to government and civil organizations, Bristow Group, along with other leading on-demand private aviation platforms such as Indian operators JetSetGo and Blade India, Brazil-based Flapper in Latin America, Germany-based flyv in Europe, Finland-based LYGG in Scandinavia, and U.S. regional airlines JSX and Surf Air.
The new customers, spanning regions from Turkey and Senegal to Nigeria and Brazil, include Akansel (Turkey) and Dieng & Co Engineering (Senegal) in partnership with Flow Aero (the U.S./Turkey), Caverton Helicopters (Nigeria), Copenhagen Helicopter and Copenhagen Air Taxi (Denmark), 5 Star Helicopter Tours (the U.S.), Global Vectra Helicorp (India), and Helicidade Heilporto (Brazil).
