Eviation Aircraft has achieved an important milestone with the successful completion of the first flight of Alice – its zero-emission electric aircraft. The aircraft took off from Grant County International Airport (MWH), and hovered for eight minutes at an altitude of 3,500 feet before touchdown, providing Eviation with relevant data to optimise the aircraft’s performance.
Eviation President and CEO Gregory Davis said: “Today we embark on the next era of aviation we have successfully electrified the skies with the unforgettable first flight of Alice. People now know what affordable, clean, and sustainable aviation looks and sounds like for the first time in a fixed-wing, all-electric aircraft. This ground-breaking milestone will lead to innovation in sustainable air travel, and shape both passenger and cargo travel in the future.”
According to Eviation, Alice will make regional travel more economically and environmentally sustainable for businesses and consumers. Eviation further claims that Alice is targeted at commuter and cargo markets, and will typically operate flights ranging from 150 miles to 250 miles.
Cape Air Founder and Board Chairman Dan Wolf said: “The first flight of Alice represents a transformational milestone for the aviation industry. We currently fly more than 400 regional flights per day, connecting more than 30 cities across the United States and the Caribbean. Alice can easily cover 80 percent of our flight operations, bringing sustainable, emission-free travel to the communities we serve.”
Geoff Kehr, Senior Vice President, Global Air Fleet Management, DHL Express said: “The first flight of Alice confirms our belief that the era of sustainable aviation is here. With our order of 12 Alice e-cargo planes, we are investing towards our overall goal of zero-emissions logistics. This historic flight marks a significant milestone on our journey to ultimately achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.”
View a short video of Alice’s first flight here.
Cape Air and Global Crossing Airlines have placed orders for 75 and 50 Alice aircraft respectively. DHL Express is Eviation’s first cargo customer, with an order of 12 Alice eCargo planes.
Alice produces no carbon emissions, significantly reduces noise, and costs a fraction to operate per flight hour compared to light jets or high-end turboprops, Eviation concluded.
