Heart Aerospace selected Plattsburgh International Airport in upstate New York as the site where it will start flight tests in second-quarter 2025 with a demonstrator version of its ES-30 hybrid-electric regional airliner, it announced November 26. According to the Sweden-based start-up, these tests will validate its electric propulsion system, which is expected to support all-electric range of almost 109 nm. That range will double when operating with hybrid power from a turbine engine.
The X1 technology demonstrator is now undergoing ground testing at Heart’s headquarters in Gothenburg. It intends to move the aircraft across the Atlantic to the U.S. flight-test site early in the new year.
Plattsburgh International Airport is also being used as a flight-test base by local company Beta Technologies, which is developing its Alia family of electric aircraft. Last year, Beta opened its manufacturing facility in nearby Burlington, Vermont.
Heart, which also has an engineering center in California, said it chose Plattsburgh for flight testing because the surrounding Champlain Valley has become a hub for emerging transportation technology.
“We’re thrilled to join Plattsburgh’s thriving aerospace community as we push the boundaries of air travel towards a cleaner, more sustainable future,” said Heart Aerospace co-founder and CEO Anders Forslund. “Electric commercial airplanes have the potential to lower operating costs for U.S. airlines, creating a powerful opportunity to re-establish regional air routes that stimulate local economies, boost tourism, and enhance access to urban hubs. We’re impressed by the leadership shown by New York’s North Country region in the support of next-generation airplanes.”