Heart Aerospace has flown its X1 demonstrator aircraft for the first time, completing a 27-minute test flight from Plattsburgh International Airport in upstate New York on Wednesday, August 12th.

X1 spans 106ft, measures 76ft nose to tail and weighs more than 25,000lb at takeoff, making it the largest battery-electric aircraft flown. During the piloted mission the aircraft reached 1,100ft AGL and its all-electric propulsion system delivered more than one megawatt of power. The flight was conducted under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category, with a test profile covering taxi, takeoff, climb, manoeuvring and landing.

Powered entirely by batteries, X1 used around $5 worth of electricity during the flight. The test came as jet fuel prices averaged $3.50 per gallon for the week ending August 7th, up 63% year on year, underlining the potential for electric propulsion to lower aircraft operating costs.

Anders Forslund, founder and chief executive of Heart Aerospace, says: “With the first flight of X1, Heart Aerospace has demonstrated electric flight at the scale of a commercial airliner. Electric commercial aircraft have the potential to fundamentally reshape airline economics and, ultimately, lower the cost of air travel for passengers.”

X1 is a full-scale demonstrator representative of Heart’s ES-30, a 30-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner being developed for FAA Part 25 certification. The programme has attracted customer commitments from United Airlines, Air Canada and JSX, with entry into service targeted for 2031. Heart expects the ES-30 to cut operating costs by more than 40% compared with legacy regional aircraft, through lower energy costs, reduced maintenance and greater aircraft uptime.

Michael Leskinen, chief financial officer of United Airlines, adds: “The first flight of X1 is a major technical achievement for Heart Aerospace, a company United has been proud to support.”

Heart is developing the first pre-production ES-30 at its pilot manufacturing plant in Los Angeles, with flight testing scheduled to begin in 2028.