Volotea, Air Nostrum and Dante Aeronautical present a 100% electric aircraft project to the European Recovery Fund

A consortium formed by Volotea, Air Nostrum and Dante Aeronautical has presented to the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA) a fleet electrification project in the context of the Sustainable and Digital Transport Support Program of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience. The initiative proposes the reconversion and electrification of fleets of short and medium-range aircraft as a measure to achieve a more sustainable regional air transport in Spain, contributing to territorial cohesion by improving communications in peripheral areas, and, particularly, of the islands.

The project proposes the reconversion and electrification of fleets of aircraft in service to transform them into 100% electric. The scope includes the design, engineering and implementation of the necessary modifications for the adaptation of conventional small capacity aircraft (between 9 and 19 passengers) and the investment in the development of technologies for propulsion with alternative energies with the aim of minimising emissions in flight. This alternative is a much faster procedure, avoiding the long and expensive development of an aircraft from scratch.

The certification of the first aircraft is scheduled for 2024. This milestone will be followed by a period of industrialisation and commissioning that will culminate with versions of several fully operational aircraft in 2026.

The technical leadership of the project belongs to Dante Aeronautical, a technology company in the sector with headquarters in Spain and Australia, which integrates disciplines of advanced manufacturing of materials, aerodynamics and integration of electric power plants.

Volotea and Air Nostrum, for their part, will participate in the project by providing information on the market and, above all, by contributing the work of their respective technical areas. Both airlines hope to be pioneers in the application of this technology on regional routes.

The consortium of companies has presented a proposal for a total budget of €42 million in response to the call for expression of interest by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA) in the context of the support programme to Spain's Sustainable and Digital Transport of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. The intention of the consortium is to co-finance the project through this public-private initiative.

National industry

The scope of these projects enables the impact on the entire value chain of a sector so relevant to the Spanish economy. The economic potential represents a significant opportunity for the entire Spanish business and innovation fabric, not only for the airline sector, but also that of technology, start-ups and mobility, with an important driving effect in the creation of high-value jobs. Finally, the development of this project would allow Spanish companies to assume world leadership in the development of practical sustainable aviation solutions and become a strategic and environmental reference in the aeronautical sector.