Loganair has agreed to buy five all-electric aircraft, a move the Scottish regional airline says will make it the first commercial carrier in Europe to operate an electric fleet.
The five ALIA CX300s, built by American firm BETA Technologies, are expected to enter service in 2029 on both passenger and cargo routes, and Loganair holds options on a further five.
The order, announced at July’s Farnborough International Airshow, lands as Britain’s electric aviation scene gathers pace. Joby and Virgin Atlantic are plotting electric air taxi services for Heathrow and Manchester, Eve’s 100 eVTOL has taken a big step towards European approval, and it is only a few years since Rolls-Royce’s all-electric aircraft smashed EV speed records over Boscombe Down.
Unlike those vertical take-off machines, the fixed-wing ALIA CX300 flies from existing runways, and Loganair says it can be recharged in 20 to 40 minutes using BETA’s fast-charging systems. Handy for an airline whose bread and butter is short hops around the Highlands and Islands.
The deal follows a demonstration programme in March, when Loganair flew 23 flights in 10 days across its network using electric aircraft, covering more than 1,000 nautical miles. According to Loganair’s announcement, the trial connected Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Wick and Kirkwall.
‘No longer a future concept’
Chief executive Luke Farajallah hailed the agreement as a major leap forward. “This is a truly historic moment for Loganair and for European aviation,” he said. “Our demonstration programme earlier this year proved that electric aviation is no longer a future concept, it is a viable commercial opportunity.
“The aircraft demonstrated the potential to reduce operating costs by up to 80 per cent while maintaining the reliable regional connectivity our customers and communities depend on.
“Signing this agreement is the natural next step in that journey. It reflects our confidence in the technology, our partnership with BETA, and our ambition to remain at the forefront of sustainable regional aviation. We look forward to working together as we prepare to bring these aircraft into commercial service.”
The numbers matter for Loganair’s island routes, where small aircraft, short sectors and thin margins make an 80 per cent cut in operating costs a very big deal indeed.
Only last year the airline was talking about a hybrid electric plane carrying passengers from Sumburgh to destinations such as Orkney, Aberdeen and Glasgow by 2030. Now it has put fully electric aircraft at the heart of its future, describing the agreement as a “significant step towards bringing electric aviation into commercial routes across the UK” and one that would “ensure Loganair becomes Europe’s first commercial airline operating an electric aircraft fleet”.
The airline says the new aircraft will deliver “greater operational flexibility with lower operating costs and zero in-flight emissions”, and the agreement includes plans for technical support and integration work so the CX300s can slot into the existing fleet. Full details of the order are set out in BETA’s announcement.
Whether 2029 proves optimistic remains to be seen, but with flights already flown and money now on the table, Loganair’s electric ambitions look rather more than a paper promise.
