Orkney Islands to John O'Groats: Latest test flight for hybrid aircraft flies flag for sustainable air travel

The UK's first hybrid electric flight between the Orkney Islands and John O'Groats has offered a glimpse into a low emission future for regional air travel, after green aviation technology specialist Ampaire announced the successful completion of its latest test flights.

This week's flight - which forms part of the Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (SATE) project, led by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) - marks the first time a hybrid aeroplane has operated on a commercial regional airline route.

The flight was completed by Ampaire's Electric EEL technology demonstrator, a modified six-seat Cessna 337 aircraft that runs on battery power and a conventional combustion engine. It successfully crossed the Pentland Firth from Kirkwall Airport (KOI) on the Orkney Isles to regional airport Wick John O'Groats Airport (WIC) as part of a series of trial flights.

Ampaire test pilot Justin Gillen said the flight went "without a hitch", flying at 3,500 feet and 120 miles per hour. 

"The Electric EEL is easy to fly and we've achieved a total five hours here so far," he added.

Lorna Jack, chair of HIAL, congratulated the Ampaire team on the successful test run of its technology. "Ampaire is leading the way in delivering electric-powered aircraft that could provide a viable alternative power source for the aviation sector," she said. "It is very exciting to see this technology being tested for the first time in Scotland and we are proud that Kirkwall airport is the hub for this and future SATE projects."

SATE was launched in January this year as part of £3.7m project to create the UK's first operationally-based, low carbon aviation test centre at Kirkwall Airport. A host of green aircraft developers, including ZeroAvia, Loganair, Windracers, and Flarebright, are set to trial their technologies from the airport.

SATE forms part of the UKRI's Future Flight Challenge, which has been created to test low-carbon aviation technologies and investigate the airport infrastructure necessary to support the development of a sustainable aviation industry.

Ampaire founder and CEO Kevin Noertker described his team's test flights as an "important first step to decarbonising Scottish regional aviation".

"It's a model for what Ampaire will be able to offer regional carriers everywhere," he said. "With CO2 emissions rising 70 percent faster than predicted, transitioning to zero emission technology is critical. We're pleased to be taking a big step in that direction here in Scotland."

Scottish Government Minister for Transport Graeme Dey also welcomed the successful flights. "The Kirkwall test centre and companies such as Ampaire put Scotland at the forefront of the transition to low-carbon aviation," he said. "These demo flights are an important step towards delivering our commitment to decarbonise scheduled passenger flights within Scotland by 2040."