A hybrid-electric aircraft is set to take off from Cornwall Airport Newquay for the first time this summer.
It is part of a project to develop regional electric aircraft in the UK.
US company Ampaire is set to operate flights between Newquay and Exeter as part of a test programme in the UK, which has also seen it operating flights in Scotland.
It is part of the 2ZERO (Towards Zero Emissions in Regional Aircraft Operations) programme using a six-seat Electric EEL aircraft and a 19-seat hybrid-electric Twin Otter aircraft.
Cornwall Airport Newquay is part of the 2ZERO project with partners including Exeter and Devon Airports, Rolls-Royce and Loganair.
The project has been given £30million from the Future Flight Challenge to show how electric aircraft could be used on regional routes.
The plans for test flights from Newquay to Exeter were first announced in March and this week Cornwall Airport Newquay confirmed that they are expected to start in the next few weeks.
Philip Desmonde, the new Cabinet member for transport at Cornwall Council, said he was “excited” about the project and the role the Cornwall Airport Newquay could play in the development of electric and hybrid-electric aircraft and making regional flight more sustainable.
Pete Downes, managing director of Cornwall Airport Newquay, said: “Ampaire will have aircraft on site during the summer period. It is important that people see action [on sustainability and being carbon neutral] on the ground at the airport.
“This airport is taking a leading role in the electrification of aircraft. We will see things happening on the ground in just a few weeks’ time.”
The aircraft will be tested this summer. Picture: Ampaire
Graeme Scrimgeour, commercial estates manager at Cornwall Airport Newquay, said previously: “Cornwall Airport Newquay is proud to be part of the team developing electric regional aircraft that aim to be carbon neutral.
“By basing an electric aircraft at Cornwall Airport Newquay, part of the energy used to charge the aircraft batteries will be generated by the adjacent solar farm owned by Cornwall Council. The airport already benefits from using solar energy and this is the next logical step towards greener flight in the UK.”
Mr Downes said that there were plans to increase the sustainability of the airport and the move to zero carbon.
He said that there was a need for investment to be made in the airport terminal to help with this, saying that there had been a lack of investment “for a number of years”.
Cllr Desmonde said that he wanted to ensure that the airport could continue to thrive whilst also being environmentally responsible.
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