As part of the agreement Loganair and Heart will work together to establish use-cases where the Glasgow-based regional carrier could use hybrid electric aircraft on its UK domestic services. Loganair will also join Heart Aerospace’s industry advisory board.

Heart Aerospace launched the ES-30 in September 2022. It plans to have a fully electric zero-emissions range of 200km, an extended hybrid range of 400km with 30 passengers, and an extended range of 800km with 25 passengers. So far, the company has firm orders for 250 examples, options and purchase rights for an additional 120, and a letter of intent signed for a further 191 airframes. Entry into service is scheduled for 2028.

Luke Farajallah, CEO of Loganair, said: “This is a very exciting and significant moment for Loganair and for the future of sustainable UK regional flying. This exclusive collaboration with Heart Aerospace brings together two organisations who share a passion to see aviation emissions reduce in a realistic and meaningful way, and we definitely see the ES-30 as being a strong contender to emerge as one of the leaders in this space. At Loganair, we are very proud of our environmental work and achievements to date, and we see this as the next logical step along the path to a greener future for UK regional aviation.”

The two companies also plan to lobby the UK and Scottish governments and airport operators to “promote and highlight the benefits of this innovative form of propulsion”.