Loganair Agrees To Buy Five BETA Technologies Short Range Electric Aircraft

This one is about airplanes, not home upgrades, but here is the gist. Scotland's regional airline Loganair has agreed to buy five electric aircraft from BETA Technologies, with an option for five more. The planes, called the ALIA CX300, use regular runways and can recharge in 20 to 40 minutes. Test flights this year covered routes connecting Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Wick, and Kirkwall, including Royal Mail delivery runs to remote island communities. Loganair expects the electric planes to cut operating costs by 80 percent compared to conventional aircraft, though that estimate still needs to be confirmed once the planes enter regular service. Passenger and cargo flights are planned to start in 2029, once the aircraft are certified.

Separately, Airbus announced it is moving ahead with a project called LEIA, aimed at developing hybrid-electric power systems for future short- and medium-range commercial aircraft. The work will shift to a lab in Germany for testing of batteries and energy management systems, with a demonstration planned by 2027.

None of this changes anything about home energy upgrades or rebates. It is simply a sign that electric power is starting to move beyond cars and into other forms of transportation, including regional flights.