The Shortest Flight in the World Is Going Green
If you're tired of hearing about the newly minted longest flight in the world and its many amenities, here is a fun little tidbit of information from the other side of the flight-length spectrum: The shortest flight in the world is looking to fly electric.
For a little background, the shortest flight in the world currently flies for 1.7 miles in Scotland between Westray and Papa Westray in the Orkney Islands. It's operated by Loganair and uses a variety of small airplane models.
The aircraft is the Britten Norman Islander, which can only seat up to 8 people. Its current record flight length is a brief 53 seconds long.
However, Loganair is looking to make some environmentally friendly changes to its small planes and short flights. "We have been looking into new propulsion technology to make aircraft more environmentally friendly," Paul Hutton, the chief executive officer of Cranfield, where the flight takes off, told BBC Scotland. "The challenge is getting the technology into a place that's suitable for commercial service."
"It would be a remarkable achievement if the first electric-powered commercial aircraft operated here as well," said Orkney Islands Council Leader James Stockan. The route of the shortest flight in the world is ideal for electric plane operation, as the length of the route would leave less room for error."
Currently, the airline is working toward getting the technology (quite literally) off the ground by 2021.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 2X miles | Earn 2X miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere |
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Pros
- Simple earning structure
- Bonus categories
- Annual credits
- No foreign transaction fees
- Flexible redemption options, including transfer partners
Cons
- Has an annual fee
- Fewer bonus categories than some competitors
- Lacks premium perks
- Limited-time offer: Earn up to 150,000 bonus miles—75,000 miles once you spend $7,500 in the first 3 months, and an additional 75,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Receive up to $220 in credits: Receive an annual $50 travel credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel, up to an annual $50 statement credit for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants, plus up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. Terms and conditions apply
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
- Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- $95 annual fee
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
- Top rated mobile app