Sustainability In The Air How Electra aims to bring sustainable air travel to communities everywhere
In this episode, we speak with Marc Allen, CEO of Electra.aero, who shares how the hybrid-electric aircraft company is using its patented blown-lift technology to make regional air travel more accessible.
Electra is one of the visionary companies featured in our new book Sustainability in the Air: Volume Two.
You can learn more about the book and order a copy here.
Allen discusses:
- Electra’s blown-lift technology that enables fixed-wing aircraft to take off and land like helicopters in just 150 feet, whilst maintaining the economics and safety of conventional aircraft through distributed electric propulsion across eight propellers.
- The company’s unique value proposition built on four pillars: access, noise, cost, and emissions, which has attracted 2,200+ aircraft orders from 54 operators globally, including commercial airlines, helicopter operators, and defence customers.
- Strategic partnerships with aerospace heavyweights including Safran for the world’s first certified turbo generator, Honeywell for fly-by-wire systems, and Lockheed Martin for defence applications, enabling rapid development and certification.
- How Electra can achieve up to 60% emissions reductions on short-haul flights under 100 nautical miles compared to conventional aircraft.
- The company’s Part 23 certification pathway that avoids the regulatory complexity facing eVTOL competitors, positioning Electra to reach market faster with proven technology.
Allen also shares his philosophy that sustainable aviation must create comprehensive value by combining emissions reductions with economic viability, and explains that electric propulsion can become competitive when it offers new forms of air travel capability that jet fuel cannot match.
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Anders Forslund, Co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, who shares the radical transformation his electric aircraft company has undergone in the past year. Check it out here.
Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Links & more:
Why Electra CEO Marc Allen thinks travelers need a hybrid-electric plane - WSJ
Customer base grows for Electra’s EL9 hybrid-electric aircraft - Aviation International News
U.S. Army awards Electra contract to develop hybrid-electric aircraft tech - Military Aerospace