GE Aerospace and BETA Technologies have flown a hybrid-electric Saab 340B test aircraft across the North Atlantic, moving the experimental platform from the US to the UK ahead of its public display at an air show. The ferry flight used a Saab 340B modified for hybrid-electric testing under GE Aerospace’s electrified propulsion programme and carried the campaign beyond short-range demonstration flying.
The crossing forms part of a broader development effort focused on hybrid-electric propulsion, with the Saab 340B serving as a flying laboratory for future designs. GE Aerospace and BETA are using the aircraft to gather data from operational testing as they refine the technology for longer-range applications.
The transatlantic route also gave the programme a practical overwater test in a demanding environment, rather than a controlled local hop. The aircraft’s arrival in the UK places it in front of an industry audience as the two companies continue work on electrified propulsion concepts with partners across the wider aerospace supply chain.