United Airlines to buy 100, 19-seat electric planes

U.S. carrier United Airlines ordered 100 19-seat ES-19 electric planes from Swedish startup Heart Aerospace on Tuesday, targeting battery-powered regional flights.

[{"selector":"#anim-5e52d386-8793-4684-9e46-8c536fb5a57f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3ac6117e-71a8-4f8d-866c-619d3bc2ead2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0573d5c7-cb68-4741-9f56-0d36c19af056","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

United's newest “innovation-related” statement comes as major airlines face pressure to lower emissions.

[{"selector":"#anim-7119896f-46ba-4c21-b63e-1ee86c1e33d8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c8c18107-2e4b-4cf0-b5fa-ad749c99f388","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2c1674c5-8d7c-43e7-a794-1d64a80e70e0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

In a statement, the U.S. carrier's venture funding arm said it is investing an undisclosed amount with Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Mesa Airlines.

[{"selector":"#anim-0d20010c-c2eb-4a69-8c2b-8a1f62d587fe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3b22f2b4-ec00-44da-8f44-045d8b2643b1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a076527b-0605-4142-8555-94401be6ad8a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

United would not divulge the order's worth, which depends on the aircraft's safety, business, and operating requirements.

[{"selector":"#anim-22ae68ba-a973-407a-94c4-98dfcb5310cc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d668242e-3bbc-4c18-a4ad-ef0a35a8d1ea","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7a9f2377-1fe8-409e-bb2e-69755745f86b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Under identical conditions, Mesa would buy 100 more ES-19s that can fly clients 250 miles.

[{"selector":"#anim-a89a953b-3bf9-47b6-aaa3-58b5f02ecdf5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-26e130b7-2161-48c6-8732-fce99704e57e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-62250dad-548d-4578-b6f7-5293875ef63a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The size and weight of electric plane batteries limit them to short urban or commuter flights.

[{"selector":"#anim-496b726f-a4bb-4811-a558-4820a819e44d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ca441fee-1552-474d-b3f1-24d56cef3675","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dcdebbb2-96ac-47f2-b450-4768a56db69f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

United may connect hubs like Chicago O'Hare to smaller trips with the plane. Legacy carriers cut several routes due to cost.

[{"selector":"#anim-acffc707-2e32-4468-82aa-82830ae623fa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cf14b94e-04ff-4b90-9edb-5cae20a5c6da","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f23beec4-5519-4738-a84f-2595c4a130e2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

"With a lower cost profile you can bring back more smaller markets than with a jet-fueled aircraft," said United Airlines Ventures president Mike Leskinen in an interview.

[{"selector":"#anim-54d91274-7e4a-42d4-b5b0-03791d54eba7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-98b74986-42b6-4e2b-a8cc-42634d70f80f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6dff4642-6198-4c01-bf54-9b9231b1d38f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

“We don’t want to wait for 50, 75, 125-seat aircraft,” Leskinen added. We wish to invest in a company with a substantial technology

[{"selector":"#anim-899d4c99-f099-454c-8849-f5cf8d7a3ada","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8dc4fcfc-a3c6-4bb5-b249-221e48f51e19","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ba19a1a9-8ab1-4e80-8ff1-79866b1bb128","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

check our new stories

[{"selector":"#anim-58cc9c80-949f-438e-bbb0-3969c0ef4756","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3e9366d5-f283-4ead-939b-10ef9faaaece","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.12409%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more