Electra Announces Sale of 1,000th eSTOL Aircraft

Electric short takeoff and landing aircraft maker Electra announced today that it has signed a letter of intent that brings Electra’s total aircraft orders to over 1,000 aircraft, which the company states is worth approximately $3 billion.

The aircraft sale was signed with private air mobility provider Welojets, LLC for 32 electric short takeoff and landing aircraft at the National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida.

Welojets joins a broad range of customers for Electra’s climate-friendly eSTOL aircraft including urban and regional airlines, charter operators, VIP transport, medical and emergency response transport, and helicopter operators. Electra’s customers are both established aircraft operators as well as new entrants re-defining how we move and transport goods using Electra’s next-generation eSTOL aircraft, and include Bristow Group, flyv, EBIRD, Harbour Air, Tailwind Air, Ravn Alaska, MintAir, Everts Air Cargo, Yugo, Gold Aviation, Skyportz, Flapper, Northwest Seaplanes, and El Azufre Resort. The global reach of Electra’s order book means that customers will fly in the US, Latin America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

Electra is currently developing a hybrid eSTOL aircraft that will enable people and cargo to transit more rapidly, safely, and affordably within urban and regional networks. The plane’s ability to take off and land in a space the size of a soccer field yet cruise at 175 knots, with in-flight battery recharging, enables flight operations from places previously inaccessible by flight including converted parking lots, barges, and very short landing strips. The piloted fixed-wing aircraft will initially carry up to nine passengers or 2500 pounds of cargo up to 400 nautical miles in all weather conditions.

Why it’s important: Electra’s order book is now substantially strong with four digits worth and multiple billions of orders in their backlog. The company will need to remain focused on operationalizing their production line and also balance their scale-up to meet that demand with considerable resources expended on flight testing their new eSTOL. While the eSTOL is similar enough to fixed wing aircraft enabling certification via more traditional aircraft classifications than some other eVTOL aircraft, its unique systems will require special attention and analysis in order to obtain a type certificate in the United States.