Heart Aerospace revealed the ES-36, a 36-passenger electric aircraft designed for regional routes with commercial service targeted for 2031. First flight is scheduled for 2028. The Swedish manufacturer announced the design through aviation trade press, marking the third airframe revision since the company's 2018 founding.
The ES-36 abandons Heart's earlier 30-seat ES-30 hybrid-electric concept in favor of a pure-battery configuration. Range remains unspecified in public filings, though battery-electric regional aircraft typically operate under 400 kilometers given current energy-density constraints. Heart previously secured $50 million in Series B funding led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures in 2021, with Air Canada and United Airlines Holdings among early reserve-holder participants. Neither carrier has converted reserves to firm orders.
The timeline matters for three constituencies. Private aviation operators serving secondary markets—Aspen to Denver, Nantucket to Boston, Nice to Corsica—face escalating scrutiny over carbon reporting as institutional allocators tighten ESG mandates. A certified electric regional aircraft would allow charter operators to offer carbon-zero positioning without offsets or sustainable aviation fuel premiums, which currently run 150-200 percent above Jet A prices. Hospitality groups with remote properties—Aman, Six Senses, Rosewood—have explored dedicated air service but balked at turboprop economics and emissions disclosure. An electric 36-seater hits the sweet spot for resort transfer operations where guest counts justify dedicated charters but traditional aircraft impose cost and reputational burdens.
Certification risk is considerable. No battery-electric aircraft above 9 passengers holds commercial certification from EASA or FAA. Eviation's Alice, a 9-passenger commuter, slipped certification from 2024 to 2027 after design changes. Pipistrel's smaller electric trainers required eight years from first flight to full approval. Heart's 2028-2031 window assumes regulatory frameworks for electric propulsion will mature faster than historical precedent suggests. Battery energy density—currently 250-300 watt-hours per kilogram for aviation-grade cells—needs to reach 400+ watt-hours for commercially viable regional operations beyond 300 kilometers. That threshold is not yet visible in supplier roadmaps from Northvolt or CATL.
Operators and allocators should monitor three markers. First, whether Heart files for type certification with EASA or FAA by Q4 2025—anything later compresses the 2031 service target beyond industry norms. Second, whether United or Air Canada convert reserves to firm orders with deposit tranches, which would validate route economics beyond press-release arithmetic. Third, watch if any European or North American charter operator—NetJets, VistaJet, Flexjet—announces reserve positions, signaling belief that private clients will pay premiums for certified electric regional flying. None have yet.
Heart now competes with Eviation, Ampaire, and ZeroAvia for first-mover position in electric regional aviation, while established manufacturers Embraer and ATR pursue hybrid-electric and hydrogen pathways with longer development arcs but deeper certification experience. The first 30-40 seat electric aircraft to achieve commercial service will set pricing and performance expectations for a decade.