MintAir has signed a letter of intent with Electron Aerospace to operate and become an official reseller for the Electron 5, a battery electric, fixed wing aircraft. In a separate deal, the operator is securing 10 Electron 5 aircraft with priority delivery slots in 2027.

MintAir is a driving force behind South Korea's journey towards zero emission, battery electric electric flying. To make this happen, the company plans to operate urban and regional air mobility services using a mixture of eVTOLs as well as conventional take off and landing aircraft. The operator selected the Electron 5 for its ability to access short runways as well as its impressive 500 km operating range, which allows connections between most airports within South Korea. The introduction of a larger number of smaller aircraft will further increase the need for pilots, therefore as a reseller, MintAir is planning to sell the trainer version and passenger version to flight schools and operators in friendly neighbouring countries in Asia.

Electron Aerospace, a Netherlands-based battery electric aircraft manufacturer, is designing and building the Electron 5 aircraft family, which includes a five-seater passenger version, a four-seater trainer and a cargo version. Powered purely by a battery pack, each aircraft is capable of transporting up to four passengers or 500 kg payload over 500 km, all with zero emissions and on a single battery charge. Importantly, the Electron 5 uses today's commercially available battery cells, meaning it is not reliant upon future battery energy density improvements. The company is on track to achieve EASA certification at the end of 2026, and first deliveries are scheduled for early 2027. Subject to permits, Electron Aerospace plans to circumvent the world with a prototype aircraft in 2025, stopping in South Korea to celebrate the partnership with MintAir.

“US-based consultancy Oliver Wyman just updated its forecast, estimating a shortage of 80,000 pilots by 2032,” says Electron CEO Josef Mouris. “As a former airline pilot, I can confirm that the Electron 5 is ideal for the second stage of commercial pilot training.”

“At MintAir, we're excited to bring the Electron 5 to South Korea, allowing us to create zero emission connections as well as offering local flight schools to go green at the same price as buying a comparable fossil fuel aircraft today,” adds MintAir CEO Eugene Choi. “Even better, the fully battery-electric propulsion system has the potential to reduce a flight school's operating costs significantly, making it cheaper to train more pilots.”

In a separate deal, MintAir placed an initial order for 10 Electron 5 aircraft, securing some of the coveted and very limited priority delivery slots in 2027. The initial focus will be on supplying flight schools in South Korea and within the region. Over the next few years, the two companies plan to work together to develop a coherent go-to-market strategy and establish a passenger transport service base in South Korea.

Towards the end of 2022, MintAir signed LoIs to purchase up to 10 turbine powered aircraft converted to battery-electric and hydrogen propulsion from Australia-based Dovetail Electric Aviation; 50 Electra.aero eSTOL aircraft; up to 40 of Jaunt's eVTOL aircraft; and in July 2021, it placed an order with Skyworks Aeronautics for 100 eGyro eVTOL aircraft with options for an additional 100 aircraft plus development of a pilot training programme and maintenance and repair capability.