Heart Aerospace has unveiled its redesigned ES-36 hybrid-electric regional aircraft and secured a deposit-backed purchase agreement from JSX for 50 aircraft, with purchase rights for another 50. The Swedish developer has enlarged the programme from its earlier concept to a 36-seat design and expects the aircraft to support lower operating costs for regional service.
The agreement converts a 2023 letter of intent into a firm commercial step for JSX, which operates from private terminals and plans to use the ES-36 on shorter non-stop routes. Heart has positioned the aircraft around a series-hybrid propulsion system that allows all-electric operation on short sectors and hybrid operation on longer routes. The company has quoted an all-electric range of about 125 miles and a hybrid range of about 745 miles.
Heart is building the first pre-production ES-36 in Los Angeles, with first flight targeted for the second half of 2028 and service entry planned for 2031. The redesign is intended to improve payload and simplify the propulsion system, reducing maintenance and operating costs. The programme already has other backing from United Airlines and Air Canada, while financial terms of the JSX agreement were not disclosed.