On Tuesday, the world's first entirely electric commercial aircraft took its inaugural flight for testing. It took off from the Canadian city of Vancouver and hoped that one day, all the planes would stop polluting emissions. The aircraft is designed by a Seattle-based engineering firm ManiX. The chief executive of the company Roei Ganzarski said this test proves that the all-electric form can work for commercial aviation.
The company has designed the plane's motor and worked in partnership with Harbour Air. This aviation company ferries around half a million travelers a year between Vancouver, Whistler ski resort, coastal communities, and nearby islands.
This technology means significant savings in the cost, along with zero emissions. This test shows the start of the electric aviation age. Civil aviation is the fastest growing mode of transport with increasing carbon emissions as people nowadays prefer to take flights and new technologies are slow in reducing the carbon emission techniques. According to the European Environment Agency, around 285 grams of CO2 is emitted per kilometer traveled by each traveler. The aviation industry emits more carbon than any other mode of transport. These high emissions are contributing to the global warming situation, which is changing the climatic conditions like superstorms, droughts, and sea-level rise. McDougall said, other than fuel efficiency, the company would save a significant amount in maintenance costs as electric motors require very less upkeep. But, Harbour air need to wait for around two years before it can start electrifying its fleet of approximately 40 seaplanes.
