United Airlines revealed on Tuesday, July 13, that it would be investing in the purchase of 100 19-seater electric planes. The American air carrier will be ordering the ES-19 battery-powered aircraft from Heart Aerospace, a Swedish start-up company.
Apparently, United Airlines will be using the planes for domestic flights. It was mentioned that this purchase is another innovation-related announcement that the airline has dropped recently.
Why United Airlines picked the electric planes
According to Reuters, the airline has been getting into innovations lately as it is facing pressure to cut emissions. The electric-powered planes will definitely help the company respond to the calls to be environmentally friendly by getting rid of harmful gas emissions.
It was added that part of United Airlines’ efforts to be part of the “clean and green” drive is an investment in Bill Gate’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Mesa Airlines Inc. Then again, the firm did not disclose how much it shelled out for the investment.
Mesa Airlines will be buying an additional 100 ES-19 electric planes, and the purchase is also subject to the same requirements as with United Airlines. The said battery-operated aircraft could carry customers on a flight of up to 250 miles. This type of plane is set to be available for service by 2026.
Aiming for zero emissions in the future
In any case, since this is just a small electric plane, it can only make short-distance trips. Then again, United Airlines can also use these planes to connect hubs such as Chicago O'Hare International Airport to smaller routes.
"We don't want to wait for 50 seats, 75 seats, 125-seat aircraft," Chicago Tribune quoted
the president of United Airlines Ventures, Mike Leskinen, as saying in a statement. "We want to get involved now by investing in a company that we think has a big technological lead with the hopes of over time working with them to move the size of the aircraft to a larger gauge."
Finally, Leskinen said that he sees the electric planes which generate zero operational emissions as a first step to having larger planes run on batteries. United Airlines added that it will commit to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by the year 2050.


Bridgewater Associates Plans Major Employee Ownership Expansion in Milestone Year
Nike Shares Slide as Margins Fall Again Amid China Slump and Costly Turnaround
Japan Exports to U.S. Rebound in November as Tariff Impact Eases, Boosting BOJ Rate Hike Expectations
Yen Near Lows as Markets Await Bank of Japan Rate Decision, Euro Slips After ECB Signals Caution
Precious Metals Rally as Silver and Platinum Outperform on Rate Cut Bets
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Micron Earnings Boost AI Sentiment Ahead of CPI Data
Asian Markets Rebound as Tech Rally Lifts Wall Street, Investors Brace for BOJ Rate Hike
BOJ Poised for Historic Rate Hike as Japan Signals Shift Toward Monetary Normalization
Elliott Management Takes $1 Billion Stake in Lululemon, Pushes for Leadership Change
Delta Air Lines President Glen Hauenstein to Retire, Leaving Legacy of Premium Strategy
Asian Fund Managers Turn More Optimistic on Growth but Curb Equity Return Expectations: BofA Survey
Maersk Vessel Successfully Transits Red Sea After Nearly Two Years Amid Ongoing Security Concerns
Kevin Hassett Says Inflation Is Below Target, Backs Trump’s Call for Rate Cuts
Oil Prices Steady in Asia but Headed for Weekly Loss on Supply Glut Concerns
OpenAI Explores Massive Funding Round at $750 Billion Valuation
BoE Set to Cut Rates as UK Inflation Slows, but Further Easing Likely Limited
Gold and Silver Surge as Safe Haven Demand Rises on U.S. Economic Uncertainty 



