Dallas-based JSX, the only regional air carrier with a five-star rating from the Airline Passenger Experience Association, signed letters of intent (LOIs) to acquire as many as 332 hybrid-electric models from manufacturers Electra.aero, Aura Aero, and Heart Aerospace. The charter jet service expects to receive its first delivery in 2028, with a hybrid-electric rollout that same year.

The semiprivate operator emphasized the new aircraft will be used to connect (or reconnect) small communities to major cities with sustainable, relatively affordable flights. Its commitments are part of a pledge to add more environmentally friendly air service options on the heels of the Joe Biden administration’s renewed efforts to decarbonize the aviation sector.

“As the network airlines order ever-larger aircraft, it is inevitable that more and more small markets will be abandoned,” said Alex Wilcox, CEO and co-founder of JSX. “Electra, Aura Aero, and Heart Aerospace are visionary organizations that share in JSX’s commitment to serving smaller communities, working together with us to weave sustainable regional air travel back into the fabric of American commerce and freedom of movement.”

JSX said it vetted dozens of “environmentally conscious airplane proposals” over the past few years before settling on Electra, Aura, and Heart, which it said are focused on the “natural first frontier” for scalable, low-emissions aviation: small, fixed-wing, regional aircraft. The company says it will be the first in its category to adopt hybrid-electric technology.

The New Additions

JSX signed LOIs for a total of 132 firm aircraft orders and 200 options, which the carrier intends to add to its fleet of 48 Embraer E145s, each reconfigured for 30 seats.

The air carrier placed 32 orders for Electra’s nine-seat, hybrid-electric ultra-short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft, with an option for 50 more. The low-emission design has a range of 500 nm and can carry up to 2,500 pounds of cargo. Compared to vertical takeoff alternatives, Electra claims the eSTOL offers more than twice the payload, 10 times the range, and 70 percent lower operating costs.

The eSTOL’s calling card is its ability to take off and land with just 150 feet of runway. Electra enables this through a unique blown-lift technology, which allows the aircraft to take off at speeds as slow as a car driving through a residential neighborhood. The model also deploys distributed electric propulsion, with batteries that recharge in flight, while a turbine-powered generator drives eight electric motors spread across the wing.

According to Electra, the company has a backlog of more than 1,700 preorders from more than 30 companies, including Houston-based helicopter provider Bristow Group.

“Our eSTOL aircraft is uniquely positioned to deliver on JSX’s commitment to provide sustainable access to small communities and large cities alike,” said JP Stewart, vice president and general manager of Electra.

From Aura, JSX agreed to purchase 50 Era aircraft—designed to carry 19 passengers or 1.9 tons of cargo for up to 900 nm—with the option for 100 more. Era uses all-electric propulsion during takeoff, which reduces the aircraft’s noise and environmental footprint. The design features a flexible seating configuration and pressurized cabin, and Aura has collected several hundred orders.

“Era, our low-carbon aircraft, provides the performance required for JSX to bring air connectivity to more local communities,” said Jeremy Caussade, president and co-founder of Aura. “This agreement marks a new step in our development in the USA.”

Finally, JSX signed an LOI for 50 firm orders and options apiece for Heart’s ES-30: a 30-passenger, regional hybrid-electric airplane. Designed for short-haul routes, the model has a maximum range of 432 nm, but it can also cover 216 nm in hybrid configuration or 108 nm in all-electric mode. Heart says the design lowers emissions, noise pollution, and operating costs.

As of September, the company had 250 firm ES-30 orders with options and purchase rights awarded for 120 more. Customers include United Airlines Ventures, Mesa Group, and Air Canada.

“The ES-30, with its competitive economics and green credentials, fits very well with JSX’s vision, and we see not only the opportunity to reconnect many regional routes lost over the years, but also open many more new ones,” said Simon Newitt, president and chief commercial officer of Heart.

Each of the three manufacturers brings unique design features to the table. But according to JSX, all three aircraft models will lower operating costs and emissions while fitting within existing infrastructure and regulatory parameters.

Regional Air Travel for All

JSX bills itself as a “hop-on” public charter jet service, with the mission of offering competitively priced flights between private terminals. In short, the goal is to provide regional air travel—which traditionally has been reserved for the ultra-wealthy—to all.

But that’s easier said than done. Commercial airlines only serve a few hundred U.S. airports, leaving providers such as JSX to fill in the gaps. At present, the company provides 120 public charter flights per day to 24 business and leisure destinations in eight U.S. states, Mexico, and the Bahamas. However, that still leaves thousands of airports without convenient travel options.

JSX says its Part 135- and Part 380-certified operations, combined with the performance of its new hybrid-electric aircraft, will open thousands of federally funded airports—which otherwise would be inaccessible to those who can’t own or charter an entire aircraft—to service.

The company claims the incoming models will introduce more favorable operating economics, allowing it to “dramatically” lower the cost of service. It expects to open new flight options for over 2,000 U.S. airports that don’t currently offer regular air service, without the need for government subsidies.

In recent months, JSX has steadily added routes to its coverage map while shifting its business away from larger airports. In September, it ditched Miami International Airport (KMIA) for nearby Miami-Opa-Locka Executive Airport (KOPF) and swapped San Diego International Airport (KSAN) for McClellan-Palomar Airport (KCLD). 

The Dallas-based company also cut flights from Dallas Love Field (KDAL) to Austin and shifted operations from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (KAUS) to Austin Executive Airport (KEDC). And last week, it announced plans to move its Arizona operations from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (KPHX) to a private terminal at Scottsdale Airport (KSDL).

However, federal regulators have recently taken aim at public air charters—including JSX.

While the company was not specifically named, the FAA in August released a notice of intent to develop a potential rule that would force public air charters to adhere to the same rules as commercial airlines. For example, carriers like JSX would only be able to employ co-pilots with 1,500 hours of training and be barred from flying out of private terminals. In other words, the rule would essentially eliminate the public air charter business model.

“The size, scope, frequency, and complexity of charter operations conducted as ‘on-demand’ operations under the part 135 operating rules has grown significantly over the past 10 years,” the agency said. “While the FAA has adjusted its oversight of these increased operations, the FAA is considering whether a regulatory change may be appropriate to ensure the management of the level of safety necessary for those operations.”

The FAA has received tens of thousands of comments on the proposal, many of them the result of an email campaign JSX targeted at its customers. The debate has divided the major commercial airlines: JetBlue and United Airlines, both JSX partners and investors, have decried the rule, while American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have backed it. In addition, several prominent industry groups have banded together in opposition, while airline industry unions have rallied in support.

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Established Portuguese regional carrier and wet-lease contractor Sevenair signed a letter of intent with the Swedish OEM at the Portugal Air Summit last week to reserve three of the ES-30s, with an option to buy three more.

With its capacity for up to 30 passengers and projected range of 200 km, the aircraft is considered ideal to test within Portugal’s existing route structure. Also, the country is pushing towards adoption of sustainable and renewable energy sources across most sectors already, with much of the country’s electricity generation supported by renewables like wind, hydro, and solar.

Sustainable Leadership

Sevenair already operates a trunk service within Portugal, with seven routes that will be well within the ES-30’s proposed range. Heart has now accepted a total of 230 orders and with 100 options for the ES-30, which it expects to begin delivering in 2028 and operational by the end of the decade.

• READ MORE: Will a Larger Airframe Help Heart’s Electric Airplane Become a Reality?

“With the ES-30, we have designed an airplane that can start cutting emissions from regional air travel before the end of this decade and it is progressive airlines such as Sevenair that make it a reality. We couldn’t be happier to have them as a partner, ” said Anders Forslund, CEO of Heart Aerospace, in a press release.

Sevenair chief commercial officer Alexandre Alves elaborated on the plans to expand in a sustainable way in a statement to FLYING. “For Sevenair this commitment with Heart shows our will of being an active part of those who are willing to take the necessary steps to change the industry,” Alves said. “We not only signed this LOI, but we have been invited to be members of the advisory board—and with our experience as regional operators help the technical development and implementation of the project.”

“Heart Aerospace presented itself to us as a start-up company that combined a strong financial backup with an experienced team and strong industry partners,” said Carlos Amaro, chief executive officer of Sevenair. “As members of the Airline Advisory Board we are proud to assist this amazing group in the development of an aircraft that will completely disrupt regional flights.”

“We don’t hide that we would very much like to be the first airline to operate an electric aircraft as we think our operation and our country are perfect as case study,” added Alves in his statement.

• READ MORE: Heart Aerospace Picks Garmin G3000 for Its Electric Regional Airliner

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Presently, SkyWest operates more than 2,400 flights daily to more than 250 cities across North America for Alaska Airlines (NYSE: ALK), American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL), Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL), and United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL). With more than 500 airplanes, it is the largest regional airline in the U.S. by several metrics.

According to the filing, the company already has a management team–most of them from the existing SkyWest C-Suite–and key personnel with “extensive business and aviation expertise” and hands-on experience deploying the CRJ-200 in cities the airline has served previously. The airline also said it plans to leverage established partnerships with the major airlines to help connect passengers.

Charter for Continued Service to Small Cities

The company said it’s interested in operating a charter airline to maintain operations in underserved communities and markets, as many other carriers have paused or terminated services to some of these cities, leaving travelers with fewer travel options. For instance, in March, SkyWest told the DOT that it would exit 29 cities it served on behalf of United Airlines because it couldn’t find enough pilots to fly the trips consistently. Its president and CEO Chip Childs reported this in the airline’s first quarter earnings report in April. 

Childs also said that the company did not anticipate the effects of the 6,000 early retirements by pilots at mainline carriers (largely prompted by impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic), which then caused SkyWest captains to flow into job openings at those carriers. To make matters worse, even with his company’s robust hiring pipeline, Childs said, “given the timing required for training and upgrades,” the shortage would affect the airline into late 2023 and early 2024. At this point, he said the company would explore new options to maintain service to those small cities.

Potential for Pilot Hires Without ATPs

Though not mentioned in the petition, there is one other thing the charter certificate would allow SkyWest to do: hire pilots under a different set of standards.

Going back to the first quarter earnings call, Childs told analysts that “135 operators certainly have a different level of flexibility than what we do.” He added that while SkyWest wasn’t looking to modify the 1,500-hour rules—which he called a “terrible way to train pilots”— the CRJ 200 in a Part 135 charter setting was an attractive business proposition. 

Initially, it seemed the company’s idea was to work with established 135 operators who already used the CRJ 200 fleet for charter flights. Childs and other executives discussed that possibility on the earnings call, but that was apparently before the company decided to file for its own certificate.

Either way, a Part 135 charter certificate allows operators to hire first officers with fewer flight hours than that required under a Part 121 airline structure (a minimum of 500 total hours vs. 1,500), and with more flexible retirement age requirements and work rules.

The post SkyWest Files for Part 135 Charter Certificate appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

This latest move by American’s subsidiaries comes after the CEO of the mainline carrier, Robert Isom, told investors at a conference that its regional partners had to park up to 100 airplanes this summer because there weren’t enough pilots to fly them. The pay raise will make these pilots the highest paid at the regional level, and the airline hopes it will help the company stave off pilot attrition and recruit new hires as demand continues to ramp up.

Piedmont’s Raise

Piedmont first officers will now see first-year pay begin at $90 an hour, up from $51, while first-year captains will earn $146 an hour, up from $78. 

When the company announced the pay hike, it said it worked with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) last weekend to secure the deal. Envoy and ALPA could extend the agreement later if demand persists. 

Piedmont operates the Embraer ERJ145, which seats up to 50 passengers for American’s routes between small cities. When the company had to park some of its fleet, that hurt its revenue, and some small towns lost airline service.

In a statement, Piedmont’s CEO Eric Morgan said, “This deal will attract new first officers and the experienced captains we need for future opportunities while also taking really good care of the pilots already flying for Piedmont.” 

The airline plans to hire more than 400 pilots this year and said it would prioritize experienced direct-entry captains. Because of a pilot flow-through agreement with the American mainline carrier and a recent uptick in demand, Piedmont is losing as many as 25 pilots a month, which means it would lose three of every four pilots it hired. So, it needs to hire more pilots faster than it can replace them or continue to lose business.

“With more pilots, we can get more of our aircraft back in the air,” Morgan said. “That benefits the communities we serve and all of our team members.”

Piedmont pilot wages will be 50 to 70 percent higher (57 percent on average) than the next highest paid regional carrier, Endeavor, the wholly owned regional carrier for Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL). With bonuses, Piedmont says its new hires would make as much as 31 percent more than an Endeavor pilot and even 10 percent more than pilots at leading ultra low-cost carriers (ULCCs) during the first five years. 

Line check airmen who train other new hires and pilots will get the highest raise, up to $427.50 an hour under the new contract.

To sweeten the deal, Piedmont also said one of the terms of the agreement would allow pilots from other airlines to credit their seniority from other airlines toward increased pay at Piedmont. It’s one of the first indications of a national seniority list that has been argued for on some pilot messaging boards but has proven to be a contentious issue.

At the time of the announcement, Piedmont’s vice president of flight operations, Steve Keefer, said he hoped the deal would put “the competition on notice.”

#ICYMI: Envoy pilots are now officially 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙙 in the regional airline industry. https://t.co/xEt2KNEXdC#breakingnews #envoypilots #teamenvoy #pilotlife #pilot

— Envoy Air Careers (@envoyaircareers) June 14, 2022

Envoy’s Raise

Similarly, Envoy, American’s largest regional carrier that also operates a fleet of Embraer jets,  announced its version of its contract with ALPA with similar increases.

“With this agreement,” Envoy said in a statement, “pilot pay rates increase to be higher than other non-American Airlines Group regional carriers, by 6 percent for Envoy first officers and 10 percent for Envoy captains.”

Additionally, Envoy pilots will receive a Pilot Supply Premium of 50 percent added to their hourly rate for all compensable hours from the effective date of the contract through the end of August 2024. Envoy will also enact a “1:1 longevity match” program, which will credit pilots with previous Part 121-airline experience to match compensation closely. 

Furthermore, with its flow-through agreement to American’s mainline also in place, Envoy promised that it would pay the 20-year captain’s rate to any pilot who hadn’t been offered a position at American Airlines by the end of their fifth year of service.

With two out of three of American’s regionals increasing pay, it is expected that PSA Airlines, the third wholly owned regional in the consortium, could soon follow suit.

Pilot pay increases at the regional level aren’t really a surprise. A few weeks ago, JetBlue’s (NASDAQ: JBLU) CEO told investors that pilots could expect wage inflation over the next few years, as airlines would have to compete for pilots as they grew their operations to meet demand. The U.S. airline industry plans to hire as many as 30,000 pilots by 2030.

Across the board, airlines are on a hiring spree. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. scheduled passenger airlines added 5,137 full-time equivalents for the 12th consecutive month of job growth. Passenger airlines added 5,448 employees in April for a 12th consecutive month of job growth dating back to May 2021.

The post American Airlines’ Regional Partners Increase Pilot Pay by More Than 50 Percent appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Airlines and fuel providers are experimenting with using hydrogen to power aircraft and vehicles, and Edmonton International Airport (CYEG) aims to be “on the leading edge of that,” according to vice president Myron Keehn.

“I think hydrogen for aircraft is coming quicker than we think,” said Keehn, the Canadian airport’s vice president of air service, business development, environmental, social and governance, and government relations.

He predicted the Edmonton area would be using hydrogen aircraft by 2025—specifically because of the nature of the region’s route structure, and the ability to support fueling aircraft with hydrogen at the base.

“We have lots of routes that can sustain that flight to fly there and back, so you don’t need two sources of hydrogen at both ends,” Keehn said. 

Alberta, including the Edmonton region, produces more than 60 percent of Canada’s hydrogen. “You have to have a supply of low-carbon and easily available hydrogen, which we have,” Keehn said. 

The airport is focused on creating demand for low-carbon hydrogen, assuming that the supply will follow. Many in the industry are taking the opposite approach and waiting on supply before investing in hydrogen technology.

Creating demand for hydrogen will lead to supply, as well as create jobs and bring new investments into the region, the airport said in a release. The goal is to show that using hydrogen as a fuel is not only possible, but practical.

This isn’t the first time CYEG has led the charge. It was the first airport globally to sign Amazon’s The Climate Pledge, which includes a commitment to be carbon neutral by 2040.

The airport’s latest announcements include:

• An agreement with SBI BioEnergy Inc. to lower emissions through the development of sustainable aviation fuels, biodiesel and hydrogen.
• An agreement with SixRing to produce “one of the world’s cleanest drop-in aviation fuels” and secure clean hydrogen as a “key input.”
• A memorandum of understanding with Hydra Energy to convert CYEG’s airside light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fleet to run on a hydrogen-diesel co-combustion system.
• A memorandum of understanding with Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport & Urban Development to promote innovation in logistics, e-commerce and distribution with Edmonton’s Airport City Sustainability Campus and Canada’s first consumer-facing hydrogen hub.

“I think it’s safe to say that we’re one of, if not the, global leader in [the hydrogen] space for airports,” Keehn said. 

Hydrogen Vehicles and Carbon Emissions

Edmonton airport will likely have “one of the largest fleets of hydrogen vehicles in an airport ecosystem in the world,” according to Keehn. Since hydrogen-powered vehicles don’t emit greenhouse gasses, the main environmental consideration is how the hydrogen is produced.

Many industry players refer to hydrogen colors based on how they are produced. Green hydrogen is produced by using renewable energy to power electrolyzers that split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Blue hydrogen is produced using natural gas, but the related greenhouse gas emissions are captured. Gray hydrogen is produced using natural gas without capturing the emissions.

“When it comes to hydrogen for us, we’re color agnostic. What we’re concerned with is the carbon intensity of that hydrogen,” Keehn said. 

The airport is partnering with SBI BioEnergy to produce hydrogen on demand using renewable natural gas, which the airport says is 90 percent less carbon intensive than producing gray hydrogen.

“SBI is excited to work with [Edmonton International Airport (EIA)] towards meeting its ESG [environmental, social, and corporate governance] goals. Together, this collaboration will make EIA more sustainable by reducing its reliance on fossil fuels without incurring additional infrastructure costs,” Inder Pal Singh, founding president and CEO at SBI BioEnergy, said in a release.

Building ESG Into Operations

EIA is putting together a comprehensive sustainability strategy covering all aspects of ESG, including GHG emissions. It will include details about the amount of hydrogen the airport will need to support its many investments.

“What we’ve done differently than others is we don’t have an ESG department sitting separately. ESG is built into the business. It’s permeated throughout the company,” Keehn said.

The airport considers the entire process from where and how things are produced to what the impacts are on the environment and indigenous communities. Two indigenous organizations have been partners invested in the Edmonton hydrogen hub since the beginning, Keehn said.

The airport has a “living wall” with about 8,000 individual plants of 32 different species. Some of the species have been listed by NASA as good plants for cleaning air. EIA is also growing hemp to replace plastic in straws and potentially things like door panels in the future.

Edmonton airport is in the process of building the “world’s largest solar farm at an airport.” Keehn said it will generate more than 20 times the energy the airport will need initially, leaving the rest to help power local homes until the airport needs it. 

“The world is going that way, so we can either lead, follow, or get out of the way. And we want to lead,” Keehn said. “The best way to predict the future is to create it instead of having it happen to you.”

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