Rex announces plans to upgrade planes to electric
An Australian regional airline has announced plans to improve some of its planes with electric propulsion engines, describing it as the future of air travel.
Key points:
- Rex Airlines has announced plans to trial electric propulsion technology on several existing regional aircraft
- It said retrofitting would help reduce carbon emissions and could lead to cheaper airfare
- Rex Airlines says it will be able to swap fuel engines for electric motors after trials in 2024
Rex Airlines has flagged Mount Gambier, in the South Australian region, as one of its initial routes to pilot electric aircraft in 2024, which promises to be quieter, less polluting and easier to maintain than existing jet engines.
It will be the first airline in Australia to pilot electric commercial flights. Other smaller airlines say they will do the same by the end of the decade.
Airline vice chairman John Sharp also hopes it will eventually result in cheap airline tickets for state passengers.
Mr Sharp said Rex had invested with Dovetail Electric Aviation to develop and certify retrofitting of electric engines in several existing regional aircraft.
“And we will install an electric motor that will be powered by a combination of batteries and hydrogen.
“Between the battery and the hydrogen, an electric motor will propel the plane through the air and get you from A to B.”
Mr Sharp warned it would not be a quick process.
“That would require all approvals from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to make sure everything is safe,” he said.
“But I hope we’ll see this happen in this decade, which is something I never thought about three years ago.”
This technology has previously been used in smaller aircraft, such as two-seater aircraft.
“It’s kind of leading the world if you like, in this type of technology,” Sharp said.
“We’ve been looking for companies that have technology we think can work for us, and this company seems to be, so we’ll give it a go.”
Reduce carbon emissions
As well as being cheaper to operate, refitted planes are expected to be safer and quieter for people living near airports.
“It’s very different. Electric motors are inherently safe – they’re probably safer than other forms of motors,” Sharp said.
“The other good thing is that it will result in far less carbon emissions – basically, none.
“That will help contribute to our national goal of reducing carbon emissions over the next few years.”
For regional passengers, technology brings the possibility of cheaper travel due to reduced costs of running an airline.
“There are three advantages – one of which is the potential for lower airfare,” Sharp said.
“But secondly, it means that a route that is a marginal route that we operate now really – you wonder if you should continue to do it – is going to make the route viable in the long term.
“And it will open up new opportunities in cities where you wouldn’t think it would be feasible to operate a regional air service.
Rex initially aimed to pilot the technology on 34-seat aircraft used on regional routes under an hour, such as the Mount Gambier service to Adelaide.
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