Lately, I’ve been writing about AI and the way it forces organizations to rethink what they do, not just how. I’ve started looking at other frontier shifts through the same lens. Electric aviation is one that caught my eye.
In ten years, short-haul flights could be as cheap as ordering an Uber. That’s the promise of electric aviation, and the signals are already here.
The first time it felt real for me was when BETA Technologies flew a passenger e-plane into JFK. Not a prototype in a hangar, but a regulated flight in real-world airspace. It reminded me of the early EV moment: small signals of trust and adoption before mass scale.
There are clear wins: Pipistrel’s Velis Electro, the first certified e-aircraft. Harbour Air’s magniX retrofits. MIT’s sodium fuel cell research. And there are failures: Lilium’s insolvency shows that hype without certification and capital discipline is a dead end.
The key issues ahead are open and fascinating:
– Can any battery or fuel-cell tech safely crack ~1,000 Wh/kg?
– Will airports build charging and refueling infrastructure fast enough, and who funds it?
– Do first real markets emerge in pilot training, short hops, or cargo?
– And if the tech works, do incumbents scale faster, or do new entrants “Tesla” the industry?
– And importantly, who benefits? Cheaper operating costs could expand who gets to fly, not just how we fly.
For leaders, the lesson is similar to AI. Don’t just admire prototypes. Build for certification, operations, and integration. That’s where the winners emerge.
I’m not an aviation expert, just connecting dots across industries. Some of these may miss details, but this is the kind of shift you can’t ignore!
#ElectricAviation #Sustainability
Director of Product - Deep Turnaround at Royal Schiphol Group
1dIf it stays connected why fly? Ever heard of trains?