The prospects of hybrid-electric regional air transport - an assessment of travel time benefits of domestic short-haul flights in Germany with 19-seater aircraft

Abstract

Aviation policy in the EU aims at improving connectivity and reducing environmental impacts. New propulsion systems that are locally free of emissions, e.g. with battery or hydrogen powered designs may contribute to this objective. Initial research suggests that such innovations are best applied in commuter aircraft with up to 19 seats. However, the market for these aircraft has been steadily declining since the end of the 1990s. In this paper, the authors analyze the prospects of re-vitalizing this aircraft category by applying an innovative business model, using hybrid-electric commuter aircraft designed in a cooperative project between Bauhaus Luftfahrt and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in order to contribute to both objectives. The aircraft, based on characteristics of the BAe Jetstream 31, features a full electric range of approximately 200 km at a payload of 16 passengers, increasing to 1250 km, when the jet fuel-based range extender is used. The potential use of such a hybrid-electrically powered regional aircraft for regional air transport services from smaller airfields is demonstrated from a demand perspective. Travel time benefits are quantified alongside initial demand potentials, based on forecasts for 2030 at the regional pair level as provided by the German Federal Transport Plan.