Heart Aerospace has completed the first flight with the E-Study X1.

Aviation Heart Aerospace Has Completed the First Flight With the E-Study X1

2026-08-27 From Stefanie Eckardt | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

With the X1, Heart Aerospace's first all-electric aircraft study took to the skies.

Heart Aerospace has completed the first flight with its fully battery-electric aircraft study X1.(Source: Heart Aerospace) — Heart Aerospace has completed the first flight with its fully battery-electric aircraft study X1.
(Source: Heart Aerospace)

The demonstrator of the Swedish-American company, founded in 2018, has a wingspan of over 32 meters (approx. 105 ft), a length of 23 meters (approx. 75 ft) from nose to tail, and a takeoff weight of 11,340 kilograms. This makes it reportedly the largest battery-powered aircraft ever flown.

The flight took place in calendar week 33 at the X1 flight test site of Heart Aerospace at Plattsburgh International Airport. This is a regional commercial airport serving a community of 20,000 residents in northern New York State. The manned flight lasted 27 minutes, during which the X1 reached an altitude of 335 meters above ground, and its fully electric propulsion system delivered a power output of > 1 MW.

The flight was conducted under a "Special Airworthiness Certificate" from the FAA in the "Experimental" category (SAC-EC), with the test program including taxiing, takeoff, climb, maneuvers, and landing. The goal was to demonstrate fully electric flight on a scale relevant to commercial flight operations.

E-aircraft would currently be more economical than their kerosene-powered counterparts

The fully battery-powered X1 consumed electricity worth approximately 5 US dollars during its maiden flight. The flight took place against the backdrop of a continued rise in global kerosene prices, which averaged 3.50 US dollars per gallon in the week up to August 7—an increase of 63 percent compared to the previous year. This highlights the potential of electric propulsion to achieve structurally lower operating costs for aircraft while freeing airlines from the fluctuations of global oil markets. "With the maiden flight of the X1, Heart Aerospace has demonstrated electric flight on the scale of a commercial aircraft," emphasised Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, while explaining the significance of the flight: "Electric commercial aircraft have the potential to fundamentally transform airline economics and ultimately lower travel costs for passengers. This is at the heart of our vision for widespread air travel, where electrification enables more affordable, frequent, and cleaner flights to and from airports close to where people live."

The model is a hybrid-electric production aircraft

The concept study is based on Heart's production aircraft, the ES-30, and is intended to validate key technologies, aerodynamics, flight performance, and the organisational capabilities of the company. The ES-30 is a hybrid-electric regional aircraft with 30 seats and fixed wings, designed for certification under FAA Part 25. It has already received purchase commitments from airlines such as United Airlines, Air Canada, and JSX. (se)

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