The first fully carbon-neutral flight in the world has made history after taking its inaugural flight in Canada. Shrimayee Thakur
Air travel draws heavy criticism from across the world for its massive carbon emissions, especially now, when the world is facing a climate crisis. The latest in a series of innovations to counter the problem is the world’s first fully electric flight. The aircraft’s inaugural flight was made possible through the efforts of Canadian airline company Harbour Air, which is North America’s largest seaplane airline, along with being the continent’s first fully carbon-neutral airline.
Harbour Air has partnered with an electric aviation company, magniX to create these electric aircrafts. The flight can hold up to six passengers, and is named DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver. Its maiden flight took place on the Fraser River, in Richmond, at the Harbour Air Seaplanes terminal in Richmond, with its CEO and founder, Greg McDougall as the pilot.
The ePlane is powered by a 560kW magni500 propulsion system, which is a high-power-density system able to provide a clean and efficient way to power the aircraft. According to sources, magniX and Harbour Air have said that this historic flight signifies the start of the third era in the aviation industry, which is the electric age. Both companies are happy with the successful flight, as they are planning to create the world’s first all-electric commercial fleet. The success of the flight has allowed them to begin the certification and approval process for the high-power-density propulsion system along with the retrofitting of aircrafts with magniX’s electric propulsion technology.
The CEO for magniX, Roei Ganzarski, talked about how in December 1903, a new era of transportation was launched by the Wright Brothers, who began the age of aviation with the first flight of a powered aircraft. He commented that, since then, the transportation industry, specifically the aviation sector has been stagnant, for the most part, since the late 1930s. According to him, the industry is perfect at the moment for a disruption, and that magniX and Harbour Air are proving low-cost, environmentally-friendly solution that can make commercial electric air travel a reality soon.
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