First flight of ‘world’s largest’ electric aeroplane
Heart Aerospace announced the first flight of the company’s X1 demonstrator aircraft.
X1 is said to span 32.3m and measure 23.1m nose to tail and weigh more than 11,339.8kg, which the company claims is the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown.
The flight took place on Wednesday12 August 2026 at Heart’s X1 flight-test base at Plattsburgh International Airport, USA.
The piloted mission lasted 27 minutes, during which X1 reached an altitude of 1,100 feet AGL and its all-electric propulsion system reportedly delivered more than 1MW of power.
The flight was conducted under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category (SAC-EC), with a test profile that included taxi, takeoff, climb, manoeuvring, and landing.
The pilot was to demonstrate all-electric flight at a commercial scale of operation.
Powered entirely by batteries, X1 used approximately US$5 worth of electricity during its first flight and highlighted the potential for electric propulsion to deliver structurally lower aircraft operating costs.
Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, said, ‘Electric commercial aircraft have the potential to fundamentally reshape airline economics and, ultimately, lower the cost of air travel for passengers.’
X1 is part of the ES-30 series a conventional fixed-wing, 30-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner being developed for FAA Part 25 certification.
It has attracted buyers at major air carriers including United Airlines, Air Canada, and JSX.
It is aimed to enter service in 2031, and Heart Aerospace expects the ES-30 to reduce aircraft operating costs by more than 40% compared with legacy regional aircraft and foresee this cost advantage widening over time through advances in battery technology.
Heart is currently developing the first pre-production ES-30 at its pilot manufacturing plant in Los Angeles, with flight testing scheduled to begin in 2028.
