EASYJET OPTING TO FLY ELECTRIC PLANES BY 2030

EasyJet has pushed back its forecast for flying electric planes to 2030, but is more confident about a technology it expects to cut emissions and costs after a partner moved to the next stage of engine development, the airline said on Monday.

Last year, Europe’s No. 2 low cost carrier after Ryanair said it was aiming to use the lowernoise electric aircraft by 2027 through its partnership with startup Wright Electric.

EasyJet’s CEO Johan Lundgren shrugged off the delay to the timeline, saying it was important there was clear path to bring the new tech into operation.

“We can definitely see a way forward in how we will get this aircraft into the fleet,” he said in an interview.

Wright is now working on an electric engine for a nine- seater plane that will fly next year, after success with a twoseater, and will simultaneously start working on a 50- seater version, said CEO Jeffrey Engler.

An electric plane that cuts emissions, noise and travel costs would be attractive to all airlines given jet fuel is one of their biggest costs, and the price of it has risen sharply this year.

Wright estimates electric aircraft will reduce the energy costs of a plane by about 30 percent, Engler said. Zunum, backed by Boeing Co, will use an engine turbine from France’s Safran SA to power an electric motor for a hybrid plane, while Siemens has been working on developing electric motors for aircraft in collaboration with Airbus.

Wright has also filed a patent for a motor to be used in a larger aircraft and work is already starting on a new aircraft. — Reuters