Airline To Sell Tickets For Electric Flights With Departures From 2028

Scandinavian Airlines, also known as SAS, is poised to make history as they plan to give travelers the chance to take flight on electric planes. You will have to wait until 2028, but SAS recently started selling tickets for electric flights in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. This new phenomenon lets travelers fly on planes that leave a much smaller carbon footprint than what we are all used to.

Airplanes produce strong emissions that are bad for the environment and contribute to climate change. The air travel industry is notoriously slow at adapting to sustainable energy options, but Scandinavian Airlines is set on changing that. Scandinavian Airlines has made strides toward flying “green” for the past four years, and you can finally reserve your spot for electric flights.

For now, tickets cost roughly $178 to $287 when converted to U.S. dollars. While this is an exciting development in the world of aviation, electric flights are starting on a small scale. Each of these flights will only accommodate 30 passengers at a time, but they will likely cater to more flyers over time if the program is successful.

Tickets quickly sold out, and eager travelers hope that Scandinavian Airlines will announce more emissions-free flights in 2028. Scandinavian Airlines says they plan to “reduce our total CO₂ emissions by 25 percent by 2025 and for all domestic SAS flights to be fossil free by 2030”.

Their CEO, Anko van der Werff said “The fact that we can now invite our passengers to the next major milestone in the future of aviation is a natural continuation of that pioneering spirit and a significant step on our journey towards more sustainable aviation.” Short, independent electric flights have happened, but commercial travelers have never gotten the chance to experience them.

Scandinavian Airlines has described their new electric flights as “the future of aviation”, and they have been working towards it for years. They first made strides toward lessening their carbon footprint in 2014 when Scandinavian Airlines started using a unique biofuel and moving away from fossil fuels whenever possible.

However, it wasn’t until 2019 that Scandinavian Airlines committed to putting aircraft without emissions into the sky. They teamed up with Heart Aerospace and Airbus, two companies that focus on sustainable aviation technology.

Heart Aerospace is a notable startup that has recently signed contractors with major airlines, such as United Airlines, Iceland Air, and Mesa Air Group. Scandinavian Airlines and their partners will spend the next five years gearing up for the first electric flights set to take off in 2028.

By 2030, Scandinavian Airlines expects to be emissions-free which will likely make them the first airline of its kind. They will be making use of the ES-30, an electric aircraft made by Heart Aerospace that can reach heights of up to 20,000 feet. Scandinavian Airlines and Heart Aerospace plan to produce several other electric planes, and their partnership will likely influence many airlines in the future.

The ES-30 is the first electric passenger plane of its kind, and it can travel on battery power alone for 248 miles or 400 kilometers. Each of the planes features a sustainable fuel reserve to power the plane on longer trips and as a backup in case of emergency.

Electric flights aren’t a new thing, but no commercial airline has made the widely available for travelers. Eviation Aircraft’s electric airplane, Alice, successfully flew at 3,500 feet in 2022. While this is only 1/10th the height of a typical commercial flight, it was a major step in cutting emissions out of air travel.

Scandinavian Airlines will be the first commercial airline to book electric flights, but United Airlines won’t be far behind. United Airlines plans to have passengers flying on electric planes by 2030. They also have announced that they will eliminate their carbon emissions to net zero in seven years.

Much like Scandinavian Airlines, United Airlines is working with Heart Aerospace, and they will be supplying ES-30 planes. Electric flights may have a limited range of 124 to 248 miles per hour, but aviation technology has been evolving quickly with so many major airlines helping fund new advancements. Scandinavian Airlines and the slew of other air travel industry investing in electric flights is a sign of great things to come.