EasyJet Is Aiming for a Fleet of Electric Planes by 2030
EasyJet announced this week ambitious plans to operate a fleet of electric planes by 2030.
As of today, no such aircraft exists. However, for the task, the Britain-based budget airline has partnered with start-up electric firm Wright Electric -- the same firm that presented designs for a 150-seat commercial aircraft that operates on electric power at the Tech Crunch Y Combinator Demo Day in March of 2017. The company has since developed a fully-operating two-seater aircraft and applied for a patent on a motor for an electric plane.
EasyJet plans to start small with short-haul flights (think two-hour routes like London Heathrow (LHR) to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)) and plans to test Wright's design for an electric, nine-seater plane -- which is projected to fly in 2019.
"From the two-seater aircraft, which is already flying, to the nine-seater, which will fly next year, electric flying is becoming a reality and we can now foresee a future that is not exclusively dependent on jet fuel," said EasyJet's chief executive, Johan Lundgren, from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport (AMS). "The target range of the electric plane is around 500 kilometers, which, within our current route portfolio, would mean a route like Amsterdam to London could become the first electric 'flyway.'"
According to CNN, Wright Electric forecasts that the new electric planes will be up to 50% quieter and 10% cheaper than the aircraft airlines currently operate on a day-to-day basis. A typical commercial aircraft -- let's say a Boeing 747 -- uses approximately one gallon of fuel every second, How Stuff Works calculated in 2014. With ever-increasing fuel prices and general desire to lower costs overall, other airliners have been developing their own takes on electric planes as well. This includes Zunum, backed by Boeing, and Siemens, which has partnered up with Airbus to develop their own electric aircraft motors since 2017. Even Loganair, which operates the 1.7-mile shortest flight in the world, announced its own plans to operate electric aircraft by 2021.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app