The CEOs of Twente airport and Dutch electric aircraft manufacturer Electron aviation have signed a letter of intent (LoI) for Electron to start operating zero emission flights from Twente airport in 2027.

Electron aviation is part of a Dutch group of companies that is currently developing a pure battery-electric aircraft, capable of transporting five people over 500 km, all on a single battery charge and with zero direct CO2 emissions. The start-up also plans to launch an on demand regional mobility service in 2027, using a fleet of its own aircraft.

“Today, airlines dictate how and when you fly. Imagine instead you could fly at the time of your choosing direct from Twente airport to anywhere within a radius of 500 km. To be clear, that gets you to Berlin, London or Paris, all in under two hours. We chose to do this with a pure battery-electric aircraft for two reasons: Firstly, it delivers on our goal of zero direct CO2 emissions. Secondly, it offers the lowest operating costs, which will allow us to eventually match the price of an economy class ticket and in other countries even train tickets,” says Josef Mouris, CEO and co-founder of Electron aviation. “To fly meaningful distances within this decade, we had to compromise on the aircraft size, limiting ourselves to five seats. Which, if you think about it, is the perfect size for our on demand business model. Do you know of any taxi company that would pick up two to four people with a 30 seater bus?”

Jan Schuring, CEO of Twente airport adds: “From a recent survey of local businesses in the Overijssel/Enschede-Twente region we know that there is the need for improved connectivity, both within the Netherlands as well as for cross border travel to Germany, France or the UK. The identified travel patterns fit well within the range of the aircraft proposed by Electron aviation.”

“Electron aviation's aircraft will be clean, much quieter than traditional aircraft and is a high-tech system built of composite materials and electronics. The region of Twente has both the potential market demand and the infrastructure required to launch this new form of mobility. The partners are creating the network that will connect European regional economies within four hours. We are supporting the development of electrical flying since the beginning because it's a sustainable business case. The need to travel will increase, so these developments will continue to drive the regional economy in the coming years,” concludes Robbert Jan Kooij, senior project manager at regional development agency Oost NL.

Both Electron aviation and Twente airport are members of the Electric Flying Connection (EFC) and as such participated in a Dutch Growth Fund application in support of battery-electric flying. Gerben Groothuis, eFlight business development manager at Twente airport explains: “Together with Electron aviation, NACO and other operators, we will be developing an airport-in-a-box concept. Think of repurposed containers that can be used by multiple operators, enabling a faster and effortless passenger experience.”