GE Aerospace partners with BETA Technologies on world's first hybrid electric assisted takeoff of a commercial aircraft

GE Aerospace announced today a new test milestone to advance hybrid electric aviation in partnership with BETA Technologies, Inc. during the Up.Summit industry event. Teams recently completed the world's first hybrid electric assisted takeoff using a plane designed to operate at commercial airliner altitudes with passengers.

Tests took place with a modified Saab 340B at BETA's flight test facility in Plattsburgh, New York. Takeoff was powered by a traditional GE Aerospace CT7 gas engine on one side and a modified hybrid electric engine on the right side. The hybrid engine is a fully integrated megawatt-class, multi-kilovolt propulsion system. During takeoff, the electric motors and battery system provided additional power to the traditional gas engines to deliver the thrust needed.

Previous hybrid electric flight tests by GE Aerospace and BETA used electrical power assist during climb and cruise, as well as power regeneration during cruise and descent phases.

Based on early observations, hybrid electric takeoff was achieved with less noise compared to gas engines alone.

GE Aerospace Vice President of Future of Flight Engineering Arjan Hegeman said, "GE Aerospace is advancing the building blocks that will define the future of hybrid electric flight, now successfully demonstrating a more efficient commercial takeoff with a hybrid electric system. Step by step, we're proving out a suite of next-generation technologies, from hybrid systems to Open Fan architecture, to meet customer needs."

Hybrid electric systems are highly compatible with different fuel types and advanced aircraft engine architectures like Open Fan. Open Fan is a design of jet engines that removes the traditional casing, allowing for a larger fan size with less drag to improve fuel efficiency. Both hybrid and Open Fan technologies are being developed through the CFM RISE technology demonstration programme, among other innovations.

Hybrid electric innovation

The hybrid takeoff is one of several historic milestones reached this year:

– GE Aerospace also partnered with NASA, BETA and Boeing on the world's first hybrid electric flight above 30,000 feet in May 2026, reaching the same altitude levels of passenger commercial aircraft. These technologies were developed through the NASA Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project.

– Teams then ferried the EPFD aircraft to the United Kingdom for the Farnborough International Airshow, marking the first hybrid electric flights to cross the Atlantic.

– These achievements, along with daily public flying displays, confirm the viability of more electric aircraft engine systems for aviation.

CFM RISE programme

Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) is a technology demonstration programme of CFM International, a 50-50 joint company between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines. It is not a product offered for commercial sale.

Unveiled in 2021, the CFM RISE programme is one of the aviation industry's most comprehensive technology demonstrators with approximately 500 test campaigns and more than 10,000 endurance and dust ingestion cycles completed to date, including tests on advanced engine architectures like Open Fan, compact core and hybrid electric systems. The RISE programme prioritises safety, durability and efficiency, targeting more than 20% better fuel burn compared to commercial engines in service today.