IN THE NEWS

May 31, 2023

Electra is pleased to announce the appointment of aviation industry leaders James F. Albaugh and Allan McArtor to its Board of Advisors, and Kirsten Bartok Touw to the company’s Board of Directors. They join existing board members Paul Kaminski, General (Ret.) Bryan “Doug” Brown, Peter Joseph, and Laura O’Neill Ott in guiding Electra on its mission to help decarbonize aviation and open new air transportation markets with Electra’s hybrid-electric, ultra-short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft.

May 24, 2023

Over the past few weeks, we've been putting our eSTOL technology demonstrator aircraft through a series of ground tests. This pivotal ground test milestone has validated our blown lift performance with top-notch data and some truly tantalizing results. The countdown has begun, and we're on the brink of unveiling our eSTOL technology demonstrator aircraft to the world! Stay tuned and keep your eyes on the skies...

May 18, 2023

Electra is pleased to announce that the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has recognized key Electra principals.

April 19, 2023

The Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) today announced that Electra.aero, Inc. has been awarded a Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) grant. Based in Manassas, Va., Electra.aero is a next-gen aerospace company with a mission to help decarbonize aviation and open new air transportation markets with its hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft. This CCF grant will be used to perform a rolling, powered wind tunnel test that will help validate the aircraft performance before first flight.

March 15, 2023

VPorts, the global leader in the design, construction, and operation of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure, has announced an initial set of agreements with key AAM players as part of its development plan to build and operate the AAM World Integrator World Centre in Dubai. Electra.aero, Falcon Aviation, and SkyDrive have joined the centre to be part of VPorts’ strategy to develop the Gulf

March 10, 2023

Charles Alcock at AIN writes: Electra is pioneering the development of a hybrid-electric short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft that it says will deliver far lower operating economics than new electrical vertical aircraft. It expects the nine-seater to operate from downtown spaces as short as just over 300 feet, opening up new urban and regional air services that aren’t viable today.

February 28, 2023

KinectAir, the operating system for booking private charter and advanced air mobility flights, has partnered with Electra.aero, Inc. ("Electra"), a next-gen aerospace company, to meet the growing demand for convenient, safe, and affordable flight services in the underserved regional travel market. The combination ofElectra’s quiet and cost-efficient electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL)aircraft operated on KinectAir’s software-defined network unlocks the promise of regional air mobility by lowering the cost of point-to-point air travel while exploiting the vastly underutilized existing infrastructure of 5,200 federally funded regional airports.

January 26, 2023

Electra.aero, a next-gen aerospace company with a mission to help decarbonize aviation and open new air transportation markets, today announced its selection by the U.S. Air Force AFWERX innovation arm for a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) award that secures up to $85 million between private investments, government funding, and matching Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding for Electra’s development of a full-scale pre-production prototype electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft.

January 19, 2023

Diana is the Chief Financial Officer for Electra.aero, a developer of hybrid-electric, ultra-short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft able to take off and land independent of traditional airports in football pitch-sized spaces such as barges or converted parking lots.

October 18, 2022

Electra today announced that it has signed a letter of intent bringing Electra’s total order book to 1,000 aircraft worth over $3 billion. The aircraft sale was signed with private air mobility provider Welojets, LLC for 32 electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (BACE) in Orlando, Florida.

September 27, 2022

Electra.aero, Inc. (“Electra”), a next-gen aerospace company with a mission to help decarbonize aviation and open new air transportation markets, announced today that it has completed the first flight of a solar-battery hybrid electric research aircraft. This 90-foot wingspan unmanned aircraft system (UAS) made its first flight from Manassas Regional Airport, Virginia on September 9, 2022, and is the first airplane to emerge from Electra’s new development facility there.

September 27, 2022

This announcement was released by MintAir: MintAir Co. LTD (“MintAir”), an Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) provider in South Korea, has signed a Letter of Intent with Electra.aero, Inc. ("Electra"), a next-gen aerospace company with a mission to decarbonize aviation and open new air transportation markets, to purchase Electra’s hybrid-electric ultra-short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft. Under the agreement, MintAir will add 50 eSTOL aircraft to its fleet, launching regional air mobility operations for passengers and air cargo in South Korea.

September 7, 2022

Electra, a next-gen aerospace company with a mission to help decarbonize aviation and open new air transportation markets, has successfully completed a fully integrated test of the proprietary hybrid-electric propulsion system for its low-carbon emissions, electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft, moving Electra closer to leveraging its hybrid engine technology to significantly reduce aircraft emissions, noise, and operating costs.

June 8, 2022

Electra.aero announced today that it has acquired California-based Airflow.aero. The transaction creates a powerful addition to the rapidly emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) market. Electra will consolidate Airflow's eSTOL business under the Electra brand and integrate Airflow's highly experienced team, backlog of letters of intent and strategic partnerships into its own activities.

June 3, 2022

Electra's hybrid eSTOL aircraft team will participate in an information exchange with NASA's National Campaign that is speeding the development of an ecosystem to support new vehicles and other technologies to expand urban and regional air mobility.

March 10, 2022

The US Air Force has awarded Electra.aero in partnership with MIT, a STTR contract to advance the development of flight control systems for Electra's hybrid-electric ultra-short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft. Hybrid eSTOL aircraft with precision landing capabilities are well-suited to support runway-independent operations where an airfield may no longer be accessible, in addition to the Air Force's new agile combat employment doctrine by providing middle- and last-mile distributed cargo or island-hopping logistics.

February 10, 2022

Electra.aero has teamed with Singapore-based private air mobility platform Yugo to meet Asia-Pacific's transportation challenges and deliver cleaner, quieter, more affordable air travel with Electra's hybrid-electric, ultra-short takeoff and landing eSTOL aircraft.

February 8, 2022

Electra's hybrid eSTOL technology has the potential to deliver game-changing energy efficiency improvements and meaningful payload and range performance for Air Force missions of the future.

February 1, 2022

Airflow’s dedication to creating a sustainable future for remote air transport provides El Azufre customers with a luxury experience that’s environmentally responsible.

January 24, 2022

Get the inside scoop on Electra.aero's hybrid-electric eSTOL sustainable aircraft technology in this lively discussion with Electra's Director of Strategy Diana Siegel and eVTOL Insights.

January 18, 2022

Electra.aero announced that it has received an investment in its Series A funding round from Lockheed Martin Ventures (LMV), the venture capital arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

December 15, 2021

Electra adds 100 new aircraft orders for affordable air mobility service in underserved mid-range markets.

December 14, 2021

Thriving regional air mobility market to rapidly benefit from transformative capabilities of Airflow aircraft that tap existing infrastructure and regulatory frameworks.

November 10, 2021

Electra.aero is honored to announce that Paul G. Kaminski, stealth aircraft pioneer and one of the nation's most distinguished aerospace leaders, has joined its Board of Directors.

November 3, 2021

Author Joann Muller of What's Next at AXIOS highlights the benefits of Electra's eSTOL aircraft, including better efficiency, greater payloads, longer range, and clearer path to certification than eVTOL vertical alternatives.

October 13, 2021

Electra will deliver up to 100 eSTOL aircraft to Skyportz under a preferred partnership deal, providing quiet, climate-friendly air transport for travelers to the Brisbane Olympics and throughout Australia.

October 4, 2021

Flapper and Skyportz Choose Electra's Low-Carbon Electric Aircraft For Flight Services in Latin America and Australia. Purchase Agreements Raise Total Electra Commitments to 180 Aircraft.

October 4, 2021

Leveraging a new class of aircraft, Flapper brings the future of air mobility to Latin America powered by Electra eSTOL technology.

August 26, 2021

Electra.aero and Bristow Group Inc., the world's leading global provider of vertical flight solutions to government and civil organizations, announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to pursue a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) and Purchase Agreement under which the two firms will cooperate on the technical development and certification, as well as marketing and future operations of Electra's hybrid-electric short take-off and landing (eSTOL) aircraft, with an expected volume of 50 aircraft.

August 17, 2021

Electra hires Randy Griffith, an experienced certification director, to lead the certification of its' Part-23 eSTOL aircraft and is accepted into the FAA Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovations (CECI) engagement program.

August 4, 2021

Electra.aero, a next-gen aerospace company devoted to sustainable urban & regional mobility, announced today that Dr. Robie I. Samanta Roy has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer. Robie joins Electra from Lockheed-Martin, where he served most recently as Vice President for Technology - Government Affairs.

July 27, 2021

Electra teamed with Dr. Alejandra Uranga, Gabilan Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California's (USC) Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and was awarded a NASA STTR contract to mature enabling aerodynamic "blown lift" technologies for electric ultra-short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft in advanced air mobility applications.

July 19, 2021

In the most recent release of the Advanced Air Mobility Reality Index, Electra and Airflow hit the top 20 list with their eSTOL aircraft. Aviation Week's Graham Warwick and Sergio Cecutta of SMG Consulting discuss the market feasibility of eSTOL and the challenges that lie ahead in this podcast.

June 22, 2021

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has signed a contract with Electra.aero to strengthen advanced air mobility markets through the development of hybrid-electric propulsion systems for electric ultra-short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft. Hybrid-electric systems are poised to transform how the USAF powers the fight of the future through game-changing energy efficiency improvements. They are also a fundamental enabler of sustainable aviation at-scale and commercial advanced air mobility markets — for both vertical and ultra-short takeoff and landing aircraft.

June 8, 2021

Ravn will benefit from lower operating costs, reduced noise signatures, and increased routes with new aircraft using electric propulsion technology.

June 7, 2021

Electra.aero unveils its first commercial product to serve regional air mobility markets. The aircraft is designed to carry up to seven passengers and a pilot as far as 500 miles while operating out of areas shorter than a soccer field, including rooftops and parking lots. Electra's "blown lift" technology — where the electric motor-driven propellers blow air over the entire span of the wing and its flaps — allows safe, energy-efficient takeoff and landings at speeds below 30 mph while cruising at high-speeds of 200 mph.

November 10, 2020

AINonline's Charles Alcock reviews why Dr. John Langford is betting that leading-edge short takeoff and landing performance will prove to be more cost-effective than full VTOL capability as his new start-up company steps up the development of its hybrid-electric STOL aircraft. Read more about Electra's next steps to build a sub-scale model technology demonstrator to conduct flight trials that will be used to evaluate the optimum short-field performance in a range of 100 to 300 feet.

July 14, 2020

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) summer issue of The Bridge features an article authored by Dr. John Langford and Dr. David Hall. The article about Electrified Aircraft Propulsion gives an overview of the challenges and opportunities in aircraft electrification, with lessons learned from decades of development of electric aircraft together, and a look to the future of sustainable aviation enabled by new technologies and new aircraft. The journal is available to read and download online.

May 13, 2020

While many aviation startups are focusing on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and urban mobility, Aviation Week's Graham Warwick explores why a small cadre believes extreme short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) and regional services could be easier to certify and more economically viable in the near term. Warwick interviews Electra.aero engineer Chris Courtin about his collaborative work with MIT professors John Hansman and Mark Drela studying SSTOL as an alternative to eVTOL for urban air mobility (UAM).

April 15, 2020

Aviation Week's Graham Warwick interviews John Langford, founder and former CEO of Aurora Flight Sciences, about launching a new venture to develop hybrid-electric regional transport aircraft. The new company, called Electra, is planned to launch in the summer of 2020 and will target Langord's perceived gap in the market between small, short-range urban air taxis and large, longer-range regional jets with a family of short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) aircraft.

January 10, 2020

Electra.aero engineer, Chris Courtin, presents "Flight Test Results of a Subscale Super-STOL Aircraft" during the Applications and Aircraft for Transformational Flight session at the 2020 AIAA SciTech forum. Courtin and MIT professors Dr. John Hansman and Dr. Mark Drela use the subscale demonstrator investigate maximum achievable in-flight lift coefficients with the blown wing, as well as the control and handling qualities with a mostly conventional aircraft configuration with unblown control surfaces.