The current state of electric flight - who is actually flying

The Pipistrel Velis Electro remains the only type-certified electric airplane in the world, operating at flight schools across Europe. Beyond that single certified aircraft, a handful of companies — Joby, MagniX, Heart Aerospace, and Ampaire — are conducting real flight tests with full-scale hardware. Electric flight is here, but its practical applications remain limited to short-duration training, brief regional hops, and urban air mobility.

Who Has a Certified Electric Airplane?

Out of hundreds of electric aviation startups, exactly one airplane holds a type certificate. The Velis Electro, built by Textron eAviation (formerly Pipistrel, acquired by Textron in 2022), earned its certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The Velis Electro is a two-seat trainer based on the Virus SW 128 airframe. Key specifications:

Two battery packs producing approximately 57 kilowatt-hours total
Electric motor output: 57 kW (~77 horsepower)
Cruise speed: ~90 knots
Endurance: ~50 minutes of flight plus a 30-minute VFR reserve
Realistic training flights: 40–45 minutes

That endurance window covers most pattern work, introductory flights, and early primary training sessions. The operating economics are striking: electricity costs run roughly €3–5 per flight hour, compared to €25–40 per hour in avgas for a comparable piston trainer. Maintenance intervals are dramatically longer with no oil changes, magneto checks, or carburetor heat systems to manage.

Flight schools actively using the Velis Electro include Green Aerolease in the Netherlands, the Slovenian national flight school, and a growing number of operations in Scandinavia and Germany. These are revenue-generating training programs, not demonstrations.

One critical caveat for U.S. pilots: the Velis Electro does not hold an FAA type certificate. FAA and EASA certification pathways involve different testing and documentation requirements, so American flight schools cannot yet operate the aircraft commercially.

Which Electric Aircraft Are Actually Flying?

Beyond the Velis Electro, several companies have put full-scale electric hardware in the air.

MagniX (Everett, Washington) modified a de Havilland Beaver — the “eBeaver” — with their magni650 electric propulsion unit. They also partnered with Harbour Air in Vancouver to electrify a DHC-2 Otter, which completed its first hop in 2019. Harbour Air has been pursuing commercial service on short seaplane routes in the Vancouver area, but certification timelines continue to slip.

Eviation’s Alice, a nine-passenger fully electric commuter aircraft designed for routes up to 250 nautical miles, completed its first flight in September 2022 at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. That initial flight lasted about eight minutes, with envelope expansion flights following. Eviation has since faced financial difficulties — leadership changes, workforce reductions, and cash-flow challenges. The company pivoted to prioritize the cargo variant first, working with DHL Express. Cargo operations allow the company to build operational experience without passenger risk and avoid complaints about range limitations.

Where Does Hybrid-Electric Fit In?

Hybrid-electric designs represent the most practical near-term path for aircraft larger than two-seat trainers.

Ampaire has flown a hybrid-electric modified Cessna 337 Skymaster, called the Electric EEL, extensively in Hawaii between Maui and the Big Island. Their approach retains a combustion engine on one side while replacing the other with an electric motor, delivering improved fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and a redundancy narrative that resonates with regulators. Ampaire is now developing a hybrid Twin Otter for regional operations.

Heart Aerospace (Sweden) originally designed the ES-30 as a 30-seat all-electric regional aircraft, then redesigned it as a hybrid-electric platform after concluding that battery energy density cannot yet support a 30-seat all-electric airplane at useful range. That pivot from an all-electric claim to a hybrid design based on real physics, rather than doubling down on hype, is a meaningful signal of engineering credibility.

What Is the State of eVTOL?

Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft occupy an adjacent but frequently conflated category.

Joby Aviation leads the eVTOL field with over 1,000 flight tests logged. Joby has received an FAA Part 135 air carrier certificate, meaning the company is authorized to operate as an airline. Type certification of their five-seat air taxi is in progress.

Archer Aviation is conducting flight tests of their Midnight aircraft and targeting an initial commercial route in partnership with United Airlines.

Lilium, the German eVTOL developer, entered bankruptcy in late 2024 before being acquired and attempting a restart — a stark reminder of how capital-intensive this sector is.

Why Can’t Electric Planes Fly Farther?

The fundamental constraint is battery energy density. Jet fuel contains approximately 43 megajoules per kilogram. The best current lithium-ion battery packs deliver roughly 0.9 megajoules per kilogram — nearly 50 times less energy per unit of weight. Even accounting for electric motors being three to four times more efficient than combustion engines, the energy density gap remains enormous.

Battery technology is improving at approximately 5–8% per year in energy density. Solid-state batteries, under development by companies including QuantumScape and Solid Power, promise potentially double the energy density of current lithium-ion cells. However, solid-state batteries have been “five years away” for roughly fifteen years.

What Does This Mean for Different Missions?

Training flights under one hour: Electric is viable today in Europe and approaching U.S. availability
Short regional routes under 100 nautical miles: Hybrid-electric solutions are likely within three to five years
Anything longer: Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and eventually hydrogen are more realistic pathways than batteries

Which Companies Should Pilots Watch?

The credibility filter is straightforward: prioritize companies that are actually flying over those showing renderings. The serious players include:

Textron eAviation — the only type-certified electric airplane
Joby Aviation — most flight-tested eVTOL program
Heart Aerospace — honest hybrid-electric pivot for regional aircraft
MagniX — proven electric retrofit propulsion

A useful rule of thumb: if a company has been in business for five years without flying a full-scale prototype, its published timelines deserve serious scrutiny.

Key Takeaways

The Velis Electro is the world’s only type-certified electric airplane, operating commercially at European flight schools but still awaiting FAA certification
Battery energy density — roughly 50x less than jet fuel by weight — remains the defining constraint on electric aircraft range and payload
Hybrid-electric designs from Heart Aerospace and Ampaire represent the most realistic near-term path for aircraft beyond two-seat trainers
Joby Aviation leads the eVTOL category with 1,000+ flights and an FAA Part 135 certificate
Electric flight progress is real but slower than headlines suggest — viable today for short-duration training and urban air mobility, years away for regional routes, and not on the horizon for longer missions