Will electric planes become a thing?

Electric aircraft may sound pretty futuristic, but the first first-ever electronically powered flight took place way back in 1883 and, recently, there's been a push to create commercial electric planes designed to carry passengers. The first electric aircraft may even be in operation as soon as 2026.



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The future of aviation lies in electric aircraft, but the road to zero emission flights is not without its challenges. One major roadblock has been the limitations of current battery technology.

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Hybrid and all-electric planes
Experts believe hybrid and fully battery-powered planes, which offer less range than conventional aircraft, will begin to dominate the short-haul flight sector by 2030, becoming the go-to craft for flights under three hours.

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Cheaper flights Electric aircraft will require fewer parts, less maintenance and less fuel compared to traditional commercial aircraft. All of these factors will reduce the cost of your ticket and make short-haul and medium-haul flights easier for airlines to sell.

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There is a way out and it's called an electric jet-engine. In short, instead of generating the hot exhaust through a chemical combustion process (like a typical jet-engine), the exhaust gas comes from a plasma source powered by electricity.

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First overnight flight On 8 July 2010, Solar Impulse 1 achieved the world's first manned 26-hour solar-powered flight. The airplane was flown by Borschberg, and took off at 06:51 Central European Summer Time (UTC+2) on 7 July from Payerne Air Base, Switzerland.

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In 2050, airports will be models of connected and integrated travel. They will be community hubs for city and regional links, and mass transit of many kinds, including high-speed rail, autonomous vehicles, hyperloop, air taxis, and so on.

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According to Drela, today's airplane builders actually favor a smaller, lighter, and therefore slower aircraft that peaks its fuel efficiency at slower speeds. (Cars also become more efficient at slower speeds on highways.)

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In the current estimate for 2021-2040, over the next two decades 612,000 new pilots will be required worldwide, with 130,000 of these in North America, primarily the U.S.. Expectations are similar for other staff in the aviation industry such as mechanics and cabin crew, as the whole market expands.

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