Heart Aerospace has announced the successful first flight of its X1 demonstrator aircraft, which the company describes as the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown. The aircraft spans 106 feet, measures 76 feet from nose to tail and weighs more than 25,000 pounds at takeoff.
The flight took place on August 12, 2026, at Heart Aerospace’s X1 flight-test base at Plattsburgh International Airport in upstate New York. The piloted mission lasted 27 minutes, during which X1 reached an altitude of 1,100 feet above ground level. Its all-electric propulsion system delivered more than one megawatt of power during the flight.
The flight was conducted under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category (SAC-EC). The test profile included taxi, takeoff, climb, manoeuvring and landing, with the mission designed to demonstrate all-electric flight at a scale relevant to commercial airline operations.
Powered entirely by batteries, X1 used approximately $5 worth of electricity during its first flight. Heart said the flight took place amid a sustained increase in global jet fuel prices, which averaged $3.50 per gallon for the week ending August 7, representing a 63% year-over-year increase.
“With the first flight of X1, Heart Aerospace has demonstrated electric flight at the scale of a commercial airliner,” said Anders Forslund, Founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace. “Electric commercial aircraft have the potential to fundamentally reshape airline economics and, ultimately, lower the cost of air travel for passengers. This is at the heart of our vision for abundant air travel, with electrification enabling more affordable, frequent, and cleaner air service to and from airports closer to home.”
X1 is a full-scale demonstrator representative of Heart’s ES-30 production aircraft. It is designed to validate key technologies, aerodynamics and flight performance, as well as Heart’s capabilities in designing, building, testing and operating the aircraft.
The ES-30 is a conventional fixed-wing, 30-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner being developed for FAA Part 25 certification. The aircraft has attracted customer commitments from major air carriers including United Airlines, Air Canada and JSX.
“The first flight of X1 is a major technical achievement for Heart Aerospace, a company United has been proud to support,” said Michael Leskinen, Chief Financial Officer of United Airlines. “Electric commercial aircraft have real potential to deliver a better travel experience for passengers while strengthening our business, and we look forward to Heart’s continued development of the ES-30 and its potential future role in United’s network.”
“The energy transition for aviation will require a range of solutions, from operational efficiencies to sustainable aviation fuels, and ultimately the development of new aircraft technologies,” said John Di Bert, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Air Canada. “Our investment in Heart Aerospace and the ES-30 reflects Air Canada’s commitment to supporting innovative technologies that have the potential to transform aviation.”
“X1’s first flight is an important milestone in that journey, and we look forward to continuing to work with Heart Aerospace as the ES-30 program progresses and plays its part in the future of regional aviation,” Di Bert added.
With entry into service targeted for 2031, Heart expects the ES-30 to reduce aircraft operating costs by more than 40% compared with legacy regional aircraft. The company attributes the expected reduction to lower energy costs, reduced maintenance requirements from simplified electric propulsion and electrified flight systems, and greater aircraft uptime and reliability enabled by an integrated electronics and software architecture.
Heart also expects this cost advantage to widen over time through advances in battery technology, technology-enabled improvements in crew efficiency and the ES-30’s low exposure to a growing range of emissions-related aviation taxes and fees worldwide.
“Through the X1 program, Heart has built the capability to design, build, test, operate, and continuously improve a clean-sheet electric commercial aircraft,” said Ben Stabler, Chief Technology Officer. “We are carrying that full-stack capability directly into the ES-30, our first production aircraft and the foundation of a broader technology platform for electric airliners.”
