The Heart X1 rolled down the runway at Plattsburgh International Airport in upstate New York on August 12, 2026, and climbed into the air on battery power alone. Twenty-seven minutes later the aircraft touched down again after reaching 1,100 feet and delivering more than one megawatt from its electric motors. The entire flight, taxi to landing, used roughly five dollars of electricity.
Heart Aerospace calls the X1 the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown. Its wingspan measures 106 feet from tip to tip. The fuselage is extremely long, measuring 76 feet from nose to tail. We’re talking about a takeoff weight of more than 25,000 pounds, which is a big load for an electric plane, yet four wing-mounted electric motors were able to manage it, all within the rules of an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category. The test flight profile was straightforward: taxi, takeoff, climb, some gentle maneuvering, and landing over Champlain Valley.
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Let’s not forget about the electricity bill, which arrives at a convenient time. I mean, the last time I checked, jet fuel was averaging $3.50 a gallon, a 63 percent increase from this time last year, and that’s great news for airline executives who have to cope with every single swing in oil prices, but a plane that runs on electricity instead of kerosene? That’s a whole different story with a far more steady pricing structure.
The X1 won’t be transporting passengers because its mission is to demonstrate the technology, software, aerodynamics, and company’s ability to design, manufacture, and fly a large-scale airliner from the ground up. That is exactly what Heart Aerospace has done: they have developed a demonstration that is a full-scale copy of their projected production aircraft, the ES-30.
The ES-30 is a 30-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner. The batteries will get you roughly 125 miles on their own, but with the range extender turned on, you can go up to 500 miles, or even further if you have fewer passengers on board. When it comes to charging? That all happens in about 30 minutes. The ES-30 is scheduled to be certified under FAA Part 25 and in service by 2031, with pre-production flight testing beginning in 2028 at the company’s new pilot manufacturing plant in Los Angeles.
It all comes down to cost savings, as Heart expects to save more than 40% compared to today’s regional turboprops, thanks to cheaper energy, simpler electric propulsion systems that require less maintenance, more available aircraft due to digital systems, and less exposure to all those annoying emissions fees. Airlines have now committed a total of $9.4 billion, with some large names leading the way, like United Airlines, Air Canada, and JSX.
Anders Forslund, the founder and CEO, said the flight demonstrated that electric flight can be scaled up to commercial airliner dimensions. United’s chief financial officer, Michael Leskinen, concurred, calling it a significant technical achievement and highlighting the possibility for a better passenger experience as well as improved airline economics. Meanwhile, Air Canada’s John Di Bert stated that all of this is part of the larger energy shift, and that we must consider new aircraft technologies as well as improved operational methods and, simply, sustainable fuels.
