First fully electric commercial aircraft takes off

The six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver took off from the Harbour Air Seaplanes terminal on Vancouver’s Fraser River, just south of the Canadian city’s international airport. Its 15-minute maiden flight was powered by a 750-horsepower magni500 propulsion system, developed by Australian electric motor manufacturer magniX. Greg McDougall, CEO and founder of Harbour Air Seaplanes, was at the controls.

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According to McDougall, the aircraft will be the first in what he hopes will become an all-electric fleet. Harbour Air operates over 40 aircraft between destinations across British Colombia and Washington State in the northwest US, carrying 500,000 passengers each year.

“Today, we made history,” said McDougall. “I am incredibly proud of Harbour Air’s leadership role in re-defining safety and innovation in the aviation and seaplane industry. Canada has long held an iconic role in the history of aviation, and to be part of this incredible world-first milestone is something we can all be really proud of.”