By Dayna Fedy-MacDonald | April 22, 2024 Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 20 seconds.
On Earth Day 2024, Harbour Air, the largest seaplane airline in North America, announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with electric aviation propulsion company magniX to acquire 50 magni650 electric engines.
Harbour Air says it intends to use the magniX electric propulsion units (EPUs) to electrify its entire fleet of 45 aircraft, starting with the De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver – or eBeaver, as Harbour Air calls it. The goal reflects the company’s commitment to sustainable aviation.
The partnership between Harbour Air and magniX began about five years ago, when the two companies made history with the successful first flight of the eBeaver prototype (C-FJOS) – the world’s first fully electric commercial aircraft, retrofitted with a magniX electric engine.
Since then, the prototype eBeaver has successfully completed 78 flights as it prepares for certification, Harbour Air said.
According to the seaplane airline, “magniX will support the Transport Canada validation of its magni650 type certificate and assist in the certification work required for Harbour Air to obtain Canadian and American STCs (supplemental type certificates) for installing the magni650 on the DHC-2 Beaver, with an option to extend their support to other aircraft platforms.”
Harbour Air is hopeful to achieve certification of its first electric aircraft, the eBeaver, by 2026. Post-certification, the company plans to convert the remaining aircraft within its fleet utilizing the magni650 EPUs.
Moreover, as part of the company’s long-term electrification vision, Harbour Air hopes to become a west coast sustainable aviation hub that provides electrification conversions and services to third parties.
“We are excited to accelerate the adoption of electric aviation technology and further our journey towards a sustainable future,” stated Bert van der Stege, CEO of Harbour Air. “The agreement with magniX underscores our commitment to revolutionize commercial aviation with electric propulsion and to pave the way for cleaner, quieter, and more efficient air travel.”
Riona Armesmith, magniX’s chief technology officer, added: “Electrifying Harbour Air’s fleet and future customers with magniX’s engines sets us on a course to define the future of regional flight. The many flights that the eBeaver has now completed with magniX’s technology are a signal that the electric age of aviation is here and bringing it to the marketplace is growing rapidly closer.”
magniX, known for powering several historic flights, continues to lead the charge in electric aviation. Alongside the eBeaver, the company’s propulsion systems have powered inaugural flights for both the all-electric Alice commuter plane by Eviation, and the hydrogen-electric De Havilland Canada Dash 8 by Universal Hydrogen.
JOS as a prototype electric plane needed an up gross to fly around empty. What is the usable load of the latest eBeaver?