Wellington, Marlborough head electric aircraft charge

• Published date: 18 April 2024
• Author: Grant Bradley
• Publication title: Whanganui Chronicle

Air New Zealand will use the battery-powered ALIA CTOL from Beta Technologies, initially in a cargo-only service in partnership with NZ Post

Wellington Airport will be the home base of the aircraft, while Marlborough Airport will also establish charging infrastructure to power the aircraft for the return journey.

Small battery-powered planes could fly regional passenger routes later this decade.

The announcement of the airports in the trial follows a deal to buy a big batch of sustainable aviation fuel (Saf).

The ALIA aircraft weighs three tonnes, is just over 12m long, and will fly at up to 270km/h. It has already flown test flights of close to 500km.

The distance from Wellington to Marlborough Airport Blenheim is about 73km.

In 2021 a two-seater electric plane, the Pipistrel Alpha Electro, was the first battery-powered, emission-free plane to make the flight across Cook Strait.

Air New Zealand’s chief sustainability officer, Kiri Hannifin said both Wellington and Marlborough were taking a leadership role in supporting the airline to establish next-generation aircraft capability.

“Their involvement is critical in supporting the infrastructure required to fly next-generation aircraft, and they’ll help lead the way in supporting airports across Aotearoa to make the changes needed for us to fly larger lower-emissions aircraft on our domestic network from 2030.”

Wellington Airport chief executive officer Matt Clarke said hosting the commercial demonstrator was a coup for the airport.

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