Aerus signed a Letter of Intent to purchase 30 all-electric commuter aircraft from Eviation. (Photo: Eviation)
Electric aircraft manufacturer Eviation announced last week that the airline Aerus signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for 30 commuter aircraft. Aerus, a regional airline in Mexico, plans to serve communities in the northern parts of the country including Nuevo León, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz. The airline will use Monterrey Airport as its regional hub to launch commercial operations this year.
Eviation’s Alice aircraft has nine seats and is fully electric. Two magni650 electric propulsion units power the Alice aircraft. It completed its first flight in September 2022 in Washington State, remaining airborne for eight minutes at 3,500 feet.
The Alice aircraft performs its first flight (Photo: Eviation)
Gregory Davis, CEO of Eviation, offered updates on the company in an interview with Avionics International last fall. The interview followed an announcement that GlobalX had signed an LOI to order 50 aircraft from Eviation. “We’re going to get to a point in the not-too-distant future where people are simply flying on all-electric aircraft,” Davis said.
“It’s going to be normal to get on a short-range flight, such as Alice, to go to your destination, or to use these aircraft to have your package delivered with zero specific impact on the environment.”
Davis commented on the announcement about the LOI signed by Aerus, saying, “Our aircraft is an ideal fit for Aerus as a large number of flights in northern Mexico are already less than 250 miles. We are always pleased to receive the endorsement of forward-thinking airlines that are keen to address the climate challenge and be part of the future of aviation.”
Javier Herrera García, CEO of Aerus, also remarked on the announcement that their objective is to create new opportunities for regional travel within Mexico and to ensure that these opportunities are both environmentally and economically sustainable. “Working with Eviation to bring a zero-emissions fleet to our region will transform the way we experience air travel and connect communities like never before,” he added.
“Working with Eviation to bring a zero-emissions fleet to our region will transform the way we experience air travel and connect communities like never before.” (Photo: Eviation)
Air New Zealand has also signed an LOI with Eviation for up to 23 electric aircraft. The announcement, made public last month, followed news of Air New Zealand’s Mission NextGen Aircraft program launch.
According to Greg Foran, CEO of Air New Zealand, “Mission NextGen Aircraft represents a significant commitment to the development of sustainable aircraft and the supporting infrastructure needed to decarbonize our domestic flights. Eviation’s all-electric Alice aircraft is a natural fit for the program with its proven technology that is optimized for short-range flights.”
Last April, Eviation published news of a significant LOI signed by Massachusetts-based Cape Air—one of the largest commuter airlines in the U.S. Cape Air intends to purchase 75 aircraft from Eviation to operate a regional electric fleet.