Scotland’s regional airline Loganair and BETA Technologies have signed a letter of intent at the Farnborough International Airshow. The agreement initially covers five conventional take-off and landing ALIA CX300 aircraft, with options for five additional units. According to the partners, Loganair could become Europe’s first commercial airline to integrate fully electric aircraft into its scheduled operations.
The airline’s route network is ideally suited for the deployment of relatively small electric aircraft: most of Loganair’s connections are shorter than 100 miles and link islands and remote regions of Scotland. The CX300 uses existing runways and does not require special vertiport infrastructure. With BETA’s fast-charging systems, the aircraft can be recharged in 20 to 40 minutes.
The companies have already tested how the aircraft can be integrated into existing operations. In March, a CX300 completed 23 flights within ten days across Loganair’s network, connecting Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Wick, and Kirkwall. In total, it covered more than 1,000 nautical miles. In addition to flight operations, ground handling, charging processes, and integration into existing airport and airspace structures were also tested.
