Dutch startup aims for European intercity air taxi service from 2027
The Dutch aviation startup ELECTRON Aviation has signed an agreement with Twente Airport, in its next step plan to launch a zero-emission service for short-haul flights from 2027.
The startup’s planned fleet of electric air taxis will transport up to four passengers at a time to various European cities within a 500km radius of the airport.
“To be clear, you can be in Berlin, London or Paris in less than 2 hours,” says Josef Mouris, CEO and co-founder of ELECTRON.
The startup’s Electron5 aircraft, which is still in the prototype stage, will fly on a single charge at a speed of about 300 km/h with a maximum range of 750 km. By targeting smaller aircraft, the company hopes to expand its fleet quickly.
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“To fly meaningful distances within this decade, we had to compromise on aircraft size and limit ourselves to five seats. Which, when you think about it, is the perfect size for our on-demand business model,” said Mouris.
The startup plans to provide a fast, convenient service similar to the Uber of airplanes: a faster and greener way to travel between major European centers. The plane needs 800 meters of runway to take off, meaning it can take off from most regular airports, the startup said.
Previously was Joseph quoted saying that a 400 km journey in one of his air taxis would bring you back €225. However, in a press release yesterday, the CEO said the plane’s “low operating costs” (compared to other low-emission alternatives like hydrogen) would eventually allow the startup to “match or beat” the price of an economy. class plane ticket.
The startup is part of Electric Flying Connection (EFC), a Dutch consortium of companies that recently submitted a financing application to the Dutch Growth Fund to scale up battery-electric flying in the country.
Jan Schuring, CEO of Twente Airport, which joined the consortium this year, said demand for improved connectivity in the region was high, both within the Netherlands and for cross-border travel to Germany, France and the UK.
By bringing in ELECTRON aviation as second operator, Twente Airport looks like to position itself as the airport of choice for electric air taxi startups looking to launch their services in the country.
ELECTRON also signed a similar agreement with Groningen Airport in 2021 and plans to roll out a fleet of battery-electric, zero-emission aircraft at both airports in 2027.
