The UK’s first real-world electric flight demonstrations have begun in Scotland, as Loganair, Royal Mail and US aerospace firm BETA Technologies, test electric aircraft on regional postal routes.
The first flight in the trial programme took place between Glasgow and Dundee, with further demonstration flights planned across Aberdeen, Inverness, Wick and Orkney.
The project will assess whether electric aircraft can be used on Royal Mail’s daily delivery routes serving remote communities in the Highlands and Islands.
The flights use BETA Technologies’ ALIA CTOL aircraft, an all-electric conventional take-off and landing plane designed for regional cargo and passenger services. The aircraft can operate from existing runways without new infrastructure and can recharge in around 20 to 40 minutes using fast-charging systems.
With a range of more than 300 nautical miles and payload capacity of up to 560kg, it is suited to short, high-frequency routes.
Royal Mail said the trials form part of its Net Zero by 2040 strategy, which includes reducing domestic flights, expanding the use of electric delivery vehicles and exploring new low-carbon transport technologies.
Chris Paxton, Strategic Insight and Innovation Manager at Royal Mail, said the demonstrations mark an important step towards making electric mail flights viable while maintaining deliveries to all UK addresses, including the most remote locations.
Loganair said the programme will provide real operational data on how electric aircraft perform in commercial conditions, while the Civil Aviation Authority said the trials will help inform the future regulatory framework for advanced air mobility.
Ministers said electric aviation could support regional connectivity while cutting emissions, as the UK looks to develop cleaner technologies across the transport sector.
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