Auckland Airport joins Heart Aerospace advisory board

Auckland Airport, the largest in New Zealand, has joined Heart Aerospace’s industry advisory board.

Made up of airlines, governments, leasing companies, and airports from around the world, the board provides input on the design, development and commercial entry of the Heart’s first aircraft, the ES-30. 

Auckland Airport is undergoing the “most significant” upgrade in its history, including the installation of aircraft charging facilities at the new airfield which will form part of a new integrated terminal. The airport wants to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Mary-Liz Tuck, chief sustainability and master-planning officer at Auckland Airport, said: “We’re thrilled to be joining Heart Aerospace’s industry advisory board and contributing to the development of electric aircraft. The electrification of air travel and the decarbonisation pathway for aviation is certainly not straight forward, there’s no instant answer. It’s about taking steps over time and working together with the ecosystem of partners to help create solution-based changes.”

President and chief commercial officer at Heart Aerospace, Simon Newitt believes Auckland Airport has taken a holistic view on decarbonisation. He said all of Heart’s board members have the chance to learn from this approach. “Shaping an ecosystem that enables the electrification of air travel. We’re delighted that Auckland Airport is joining our board, and we look forward to collaborating with them,” said Newitt.

The 30 passenger capacity ES-30 will be driven by electric motors with battery derived energy. It will have a fully electric zero emissions range of 200km, an extended hybrid range of 400km and the flexibility to fly up to 800km with 25 passengers, according to developers.