Electric Aircraft Carries Royal Mail

A BETA Technologies electric airplane is now carrying the mail to remote communities in Scotland as part of a demonstration of the capabilities of the aircraft. The plane is not an eVTOL. It takes off and lands conventionally and uses existing airports. The first flight was last Thursday from Glasgow to Dundee and future flights are planned for Inverness, Wick, Aberdeen and Orkney. The tests are being done by Loganair, which has the Royal Mail contract for that area and has been serving those communities with passenger and mail service for about 60 years. “This is a real tangible programme of flying across our network which will provide invaluable data on how an electric aircraft could perform in a real commercial environment,” Loganair CEO Luke Farajallah told Airliners Live.

The plane can carry about 1200 pounds and has a range of 350 miles. It can fully recharge in 20 to 40 minutes and suits Loganair’s short and frequent flights. The Royal Mail has pledged to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2040 so it’s hopeful the trial works out. “By working with Loganair and BETA Technologies, we are proud to be the first UK delivery company to test an electric aircraft,” said Royal Mail spokesman Chris Paxton.